Moral Development, Values & Religion

Question 1

Forgiveness

Answer 1

Is an aspect of prosocial behaviour that occurs when the injured person releases the injurer from a possible behavioural retaliation.

Question 2

Values

Answer 2

Are beliefs and attitudes about the way things should be. They involve what is important to us. We attach values to all sorts of things: politics, religion, money, sex, education, helping others, family, friends, career, self-respect, and so on. Values reflect the intrapersonal dimension of morality introduced at the beginning of the chapter. Values change over time.

Research has shown an increase for the personal well-being of the self and a decrease in the wellbeing of others.

More motivated to be financially well off than to possess a meaningful philosophy in life.

Despite this however, both self-fulfilment and self expression continue to be growth areas for values.

A lack of values may reflect a clear sense from young people that they do not know what they want to do with their lives.

Question 3

Erikson’s view of moral personality:

Answer 3

Below:

Question 4

Empathy

Answer 4

Means reacting to another feelings with an emotional response that is similar to that person’s feelings.

Also involves a cognitive component, previously called perspective taking. Understanding someones subjective inner state.

Question 5

Love Withdrawal

Answer 5

Comes closest to the psychoanalytic emphasis on fear and punishment and of losing parental love. It is a discipline technique in which ha parent withholds attention and love from the adolescent, as when the parent refuse to talk to the adolescent or states a dislike for the adolescent.

Question 6

Altruism

Answer 6

An unselfish interest in helping another person.

In adolescents, ost likely attributed to empathetic or sympathetic emotion for an individual in need or a close relationship between the benefactor and the recipient.

Cognitive changes involving abstract, idealistic, and logical reasoning as well as increased empathy and emotional understanding are like involved.

Question 7

An Integrative Approach to Moral Education

Answer 7

Encompasses different aspects of each of the approaches just discussed. This includes aspects of the character eduction approach as well aspects of the cognitive moral education approach.

Question 8

The Social Cognitive Theory of Moral Development

Answer 8

Emphasises a distinction between adolescents moral competence - the ability to produce moral behaviours - and moral performance - the enactment those behaviours in specific situations.

Bundara states that understanding moral development is best done when considering a combination of social and cognitive factors, especially those involving self control.

Self-Regulation rather than abstract reasoning is the key to positive moral development.

Moral Competence - Refers to an individuals ability to produce a moral behaviour.

Moral Performance - Refers to the individuals ability to perform those behaviours in specific situations.

Question 9

Moral Competence

Answer 9

Refers to an individuals ability to produce a moral behaviour.

Question 10

Social Domain Theory

Answer 10

States that there are different domains of social knowledge and reasoning, including moral, social conventional, and personal domains.

Key judgements in various domains of ones life.

Question 11

Gratitude

Answer 11

Is a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation, especially in response to someone doing something kind or helpful.

Question 12

Power Assertion

Answer 12

Is a discipline technique in which a parent attempts to gain control over the adolescent or the adolescents resources.

Question 13

Kolhbergs three levels of moral reasoning:

Answer 13

Kohlberg found that peoples morality becomes more internal and mature as they progress through the stages.

The change in moral reasoning from one stage to another results from Cognitive Dis-Equilibrium - Grappling with moral issues and noticing weaknesses or anomalies in ones own reasoning, and:

Perspective Taking - Making evaluative judgements in an increasingly complex way.

Question 14

The Influence of Kohlberg’s Stages:

Answer 14

What factors influence a person’s moral developent?

Question 15

Induction

Answer 15

Is the discipline technique in which a parent uses reason and explanation of the consequences for others of the adolescents actions.

Dependent on the age of the child - does not work so well for pre-school aged children.

Also dependent on the SES of the child. Low SES individuals less likely to internalise the norms of society than middle SES peoples.

Question 16

The Contemporary Perspective

Answer 16

Contemporary perspectives interpret traditional developmental views such as Freud that negative emotions such as guilt are the basis of moral development, with modern understandings that positive feelings do the same.

Question 17

Social Conventional Reasoning

Answer 17

Refers to thoughts about social consensus and reasoning, as opposed to moral reasoning that stresses ethical reasoning.

The social conventional approach is a challenge to Kohlberg’s theory, because Kohlberg argued that that social conventions are a stop-over on the road to higher moral sophistication.

Social conventionalists argue that social conventional reasoning is not lower than post conventional reasoning, though rather it needs to be separated from the moral thread.

Question 18

Moral Performance

Answer 18

Refers to the individuals ability to perform those behaviours in specific situations

Question 19

Freud’s views on parenting

Answer 19

Argued that parenting practices that result in fear of punishment and loss of love should result in conscience development.

These punitive practices have in fact been found to be just as effective as Induction - The explaining about and taking responsibility for an act as it relates to the consequences of their behaviour for others.

Question 20

So why is induction so effective?

Answer 20

Five points to consider:

Question 21

Psychoanalytic Theory

Answer 21

The superego develops in early childhood when the child resolves the Oedipus complex and identifies with the same-sex parent.Freud felt that children resolves the Oedipus conflict is to alleviate the fear of loosing their parents love and of being punished for their unacceptable sexual wishes towards the opposite-sex parent.

Therefore to reduce anxiety and avoid punishment, and maintain parental affection, the superego develops.

Standards are internalised.

The anger that was once aimed at the same sex parent is turned inward and manifest as quilt.

This guilt and self punitiveness keeps children from committing transgressions.

Question 22

Spirituality

Answer 22

Involves experiencing something beyond oneself in a transcendent manner and living in a way that benefits others and society.

Question 23

Perspective Taking

Answer 23

Making evaluative judgements in an increasingly complex way.

Question 24

Cognitive Dis-Equilibrium

Answer 24

Grappling with moral issues and noticing weaknesses or anomalies in ones own reasoning

Question 25

Values Clarification

Answer 25

Refers to helping students clarify and understand what is important to them by looking at what is worth working for, and what their purpose is in life. Students are also encouraged to understand other peoples values whilst working on defining their own.

Question 26

Religion

Answer 26

Is an organised set of beliefs, practices, rituals, and symbols that increases an individuals connection to a sacred or transcendent other (God, higher power, or ultimate truth).

Question 27

According to Freud, the Superego comprises of two main components:

Answer 27

The Ego Ideal - Is the component of the superego that involves ideal standards approved buy parents.

Conscience - Is the component of the superego that involves behaviours not approved of by parents.

Self control replaces parental control.

Question 28

Character Education

Answer 28

Is a more direct approach that aims to educate students on basic moral literacy as a means of preventing them form engaging in behaviour that is immoral.

Question 29

Kohlberg’s level 1: Preconventional Reasoning

Answer 29

Is the lowest level in Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. It has two stages:

1. Heteronomous Morality - Punishment and obedience orientation. Moral thinking is tied to punishment, the law is the law, you can either be good or bad within the law, no internalisation.
2. Individualism, instrumental purpose, and exchange - Is the second stage in Kohlberg’s model. At this stage, individuals pursue their own interests but also let others do the same. What is right involves an equal exchange. People are nice to others, so that others will be nice to them in return. Whats in it for me?

Question 30

The Hidden Curriculum

Answer 30

Is the moral atmosphere that is part of every school.

Moral education in schools occurs unconsciously and overtly.

Modelling.

Value systems.

Question 31

Three domains of moral development.

Answer 31

Cognitive.

Emotional.

Behavioural.

Involves changes in thoughts, feelings, and behaviours regarding standards of right and wrong. Has intrapersonal dimensions, which regulates a persons activities when they are not in a social situation; and interpersonal dimensions, which regulates social interactions and arbitrates conflict.

Question 32

Kohlberg’s level 3: Post-conventional Reasoning

Answer 32

Is the highest level in Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. At this level, morality is more internal. The individuals recognises alternative moral courses, explores the options, and then decides on a moral code. In the post conventional reasoning, individuals engage in deliberate checks on their reasoning to ensure that it meets high ethical standards. Consists of two stages:

5. Social Contract or Utility and Individual Rights - Is the fifth Kohlberg stage. At this stage, individuals reason that values, rights, and principles undergrad or transcend the law. A person evaluates the validity of actual laws and examines social systems in terms of the degree to which they preserve and protect fundamental human rights and values. Where there is a conflict between the legal and the moral, the moral should always take precedence, as the law should serve the moral principle. Does not appear until age 20-22, and only represents less than 10% of people.
6. Universal ethical principles - Is the sixth and highest stage in Kohleber’s theory of moral development. At this stage, the person has developed a moral standard based on universal human rights. When faced with a conflict the decision might involve personal risk. Stage 6 was not represented in kohlberg’s study at all and was recently removed from a inventory scale. It is still an important step.

Question 33

Religiousness

Answer 33

Refers to the degree of affiliation with an organised religion, participation in its prescribed rituals and practices, connection with its beliefs, and involvement on a community of believers.

Question 34

Kohlberg’s level 2: Conventional Reasoning

Answer 34

Is the second or intermediate level in Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. Individuals abide by certain standards (internal), but they are the standards of others (external), such as parents or the laws of society. In conventional reasoning, individuals develop expectations about social roles, in addition to developing a sense of guilt that emerges as a result of possible punishment. It is the beginning of internalisation. the conventional reasoning level consists of two stages.

3. Mutual interpersonal expectations, relationships, and interpersonal conformity - Is Kohlberg’s third stage of moral development. At this stage, individuals value trust, caring, and loyalty to others as a basis of moral judgements. Children often adopt their parents standards at this stage, seeking to be thought of by their parents as a good girl or a good boy.
4. Social Systems Morality - Is the fourth stage of Kohlberg’s moral development. At this stage, moral judgements are based on understanding the social order, law, justice, and duty. Social perspective taking that goes beyond the immediate family or group. Represented by 62% of 36 year olds.

Question 35

Moral Exemplars

Answer 35

Are people who have lived exemplary lives. Moral exemplars, such as Jewel Cash who was portrayed at the beginning of the chapter, have a moral personality, identity, character, and set of virtues that reflect moral excellence and commitment.

Question 36

Service Learning

Answer 36

Is a form of education that aims to promote social responsibility in the individual as well as encouraging service to the greater community. Often more effective when two or more conditions are met.

1. Students are given some degree of choice in the service activities in which they participate.
2. Students are provided opportunities to reflect about their participation.

Question 37

Five questions must be asked about adolescent moral development:

Answer 37

How do adolescents actually behave in moral circumstances?

How do adolescents feel about moral matters?

What comprises an adolescents personality?

How is the adolescents moral domain different from the adolescents social conventional and personal domains?

The components are often interrelated.

Question 38

Cognitive Moral Education

Answer 38

Is the concept that students should be taught to value democratic concepts such as co-operation, trust, responsibility and justice as their moral reasoning develops.

Question 39

Moral Identity

Answer 39

Individuals have a moral identity when moral motions and commitments are central to their lives.

Engage in moral meta-cognition.

Moral self-monitoring.

Moral self-reflection.

Has been found to predict health outcomes.

Question 40

Moral Character

Answer 40

Involves having the strength of your own convictions, persisting, and overcoming distractions and obstacles.

Involves peoples conceptions of their moral excellence.

Question 41

Many changes developmentally take place with adolescents and emerging adulthood:

Answer 41

Cognitive Changes:

Many cognitive development theories regarding religion stem from Piaget’s theory. The increase in adolescents abstract thinking lets them explore more ideas about religion and spiritual concepts. EG: Questions about theodicy. Is religion the best route for creating a better world?

The ability to develop hypothesis to spiritual questions given the increase of logical reasoning.

Identity:

Issues of identity and existential questions have been found to be related to peoples intrinsic religious affiliate and identification, also altruism.

Religious Socialisation and Parenting:

Religious socialisation seems to work as children generally adopt the religious orientation of their parents.

Question 42

Kohlberg’s Stages

Answer 42

Kohlberg was interested in the development of moral reasoning and the changes and the transformation which occur over time in ho adolescents understand, interpret, and integrate moral and legal rules, obligations and natural justice.

Moral development is based on moral reasoning which unfolds in a series of stages.

A key concept in this process is:

Internalisation - Which is the change from behaviour that is controlled externally to behaviour that is controlled by internal standards and principles.