morality + intimate relations Flashcards
what is moral development
moral development involves changes in thoughts, feelings, and behaviours regarding standards of right and wrong
what are the different views of moral development?
1) reasoning
2) intuition
who supported the ‘reasoning’ view of moral development?
Kohlberg and Piaget
what is the reasoning view of moral development?
suggests that people weigh pros/cons of their moral decisions and use logical operations to come to a conclusion
what did J. Haidt suggest about moral development?
Intuitionism
–> gut feeling FOLLOWED by reasoning
- suggests that we get a gut feeling about what’s wrong vs. right, and THEN use reasoning to support our judgement
what does intuitionism suggest that moral decisions are based on?
suggests that moral decisions are based on gut feelings/intuition, and reasoning is what we do AFTER the decision to justify our decision
- most of our decisions are quick; we are not always thinking about the implications
what is moral dumbfounding?
a strong moral judgment or intuition about a particular situation, even when one cannot provide logical reasons to support their judgment
- convincing ourselves of our own gut feeling & trying to convince other people
- challenges traditional models of moral reasoning, which assume that moral judgments are based on rational deliberation and can be justified
- suggests that moral intuitions and emotions play a significant role
describe social intuitionism theory
developed by: J. Haidt
- suggests that our moral judgments are mainly driven by rapid, automatic, and intuitive emotional responses rather than conscious reasoning
- moral judgments are influenced by our gut feelings or intuitions, which are then followed by post hoc reasoning to justify those initial intuitive judgments.
what are some factors that may influence our intuition?
- personal experiences
- cultural norms
- upbringing
- evolutionary predispositions
what is post hoc reasoning?
the reasoning we make after our moral decision (post-rationalization); this is often influenced by our emotions
is there proof of judgement-making with animals?
yes.
in an example video, we were shown 2 monkeys that we rewarded with a treat for doing a specific action. monkey 1 accepted the cucumber when first give, but wont not accept this on other rounds after observing the other monkey receiving a grape for doing the same thing.
- monkey believed for feel inequality / jealousy –> knew it wasn’t fair (sense of morality?)
what is the difference between reasoning and intuition?
reasoning: thinking about pros/cons
intuition: gut feeling
both activate DIFFERENT brain circuits
reasoning & intuition of: train & lever scenario
thinking about pulling/not pulling the lever = activates the reasoning areas of the brain
thinking about pushing the heavy man off the bridge = activates the ‘gut feeling’/intuition part of the brain
why would most people NOT push the heavy man off the train?
it’s because of the amount of personal involvement
- pushing the man off the bridge involves visceral touching –> its YOU doing the pushing to kill
- the push would be INTENTIONAL to stop the train (not a side effect)
why is pulling the level not the same as pushing the heavy man?
because when the lever is pulled, it’s to save the family of 5 (the intention), the 1 person on the other train track is killed as a by-product (side effect)
is distance a key factor in moral judgement?
YES
does reasoning ever override intuition?
yes it can. example = cheating
- overriding the ‘gut feeling’ is often spontaneous
- proximity counts –> more likely to cheat if not being monitored
- justifications = everyone else does it, academic pressure, poor teaching, lack of interest
what is the Moral Foundations Theory?
developed by J. Haidt
suggests that there are 6 moral foundations that are used for moral judgements. people differ in the weight that they assign to each moral foundation; leads to variations in moral judgement
what are the categories of adult moral judgement? (from moral foundations theory)
C-FALLS
care (versus harm)
- concerns about well-being of others ; feelings of protection and compassion
fairness (versus cheating)
- related to justice, reciprocity and equality
authority (versus subservience)
- relates to hierarchal structures; respect for authority figures
liberty (versus oppression)
- concerns for personal freedom, individual rights
loyalty (versus betrayal)
- focuses on group cohesion; loyalty to family, country, culture, etc.
sanctity (versus degradation)
- recognition for things that are sacred or pure; relates to boundaries
is moral identity related to / wrapped up in our social identity?
yes.
in-group affiliations / peers may cause people to be more focused on different categories of adult moral judgement
- people are impressionable
- prosocial relations is very important for moral development
what is moral identity?
an aspect of personality that is present when individuals have moral notions and commitments that are central to their lives
- ex. ‘who am I?’, ‘who do I want to be?’
what is fractured morality?
a state in which a person’s moral values/beliefs become inconsistent.
- suggests a lack of cohesion or moral integrity
- occurs when there are contradictions or conflicts in moral judgement
this is a normal human aspect of human behaviour; there are many factors that can influence or change our moral values (ex. cultural influence, social/situational pressure, cognitive biases)
can parenting or trauma influence morality?
yes!
experiencing trauma or traumatic parenting may cause people to develop particular fears (ex. fear of love/rejection), which may then cause them to make different moral choices throughout life
what is moral personality/character?
suggests that people set moral goals, and that to achieve those goals they must commit to act in accordance with those goals
- aka. bag of issues (?)
- a strong moral character involves consistency in living according to one’s values, treating others with respect, and taking responsibility for one’s actions
