Week 6 - Moral Development & Memory Flashcards
Provide a definition for morality, and the two components of morality
Morality = behavioural conduct that differentiates intentions between those that are good, right, and those that are bad/ wrong. Morality is broken down into:
1) Moral affect (affective component) = emotional component. feelings that may be engendered when we engage in right/ or wrong moral behaviour. I.e. guilt, fear, caring about others, pride. Guilt can really prevent us from doing what we know is wrong. Empathy; vicarious experience of others, which adds dimension to understanding others. Critical to prosocial behaviour.
2) Moral reasoning (cognitive component) = how, we conceptualise what is right/ wrong. Making decisions about how to behave.
Very linked to Piaget; stages that represents shift in how we make decisions on what is good/ bad
What are Kohlberg’s 3 stage (6 substages) of moral development?
A) Preconventional (emphasis on avoiding punishments and rewards):
Stage 1 - heteronomous morality; ethics of punishment and obedience
Stage 2 - instrumental purpose; ethics of exchange (good is whatever is agreeable to individual)
B) Conventional level (emphasis on social rules):
Stage 3 - interpersonal normative morality; ethics of peer opinion
Stage 4 - social system orientation; conformity to social system (ethics of law and order)
C) Postconventional level (emphasis on moral principles):
Stage 5 - social contract orientation, ethics of social contract and individual rights
Stage 6 - ethics of self-chosen universal principles
What is Piaget’s theory of moral reasoning? describe the 3 stages
1) Pre-moral period (early childhood and preschool years = around 6-10yrs. children show little understanding of rules. Morality in this age range is governed by authority figures. Heteronomous morality; knows action was wrong because damage was done
2) Autonomous morality = rules are agreements between individuals (around 10 yrs). Rules can be changed through negotiation. Pays more attention to intentions, rather than actions.
Experiment = asked children at different ages. Who was the most wrong? Johnny who knocked over 15 cups, or Kyle who knocked over 1 whilst he was trying to steal a cookie from the cupboard. Who was worse? Piaget confounded this scenario. Nonetheless, idea that we focus on extent of damage done, to judging intentions.
Broadly, what does Kohlberg emphasise in cognitive development/ growth? State a criticism as well.
Kohlberg posits that we need to engage a concrete operational thought, to overcome egocentric thinking, and to achieve cognitive growth. Social interactions with peers and others, allows us to negotiate and understand rules that might be altered through agreement.
Criticisms = shift across development from pre-conventional to conventional. High variability in post-conventional thinking (highly culturally determined).
describe moral behaviour
We might have intentions or make decisions about how to behave (REASONING), however this doesn’t reflect how we behave.
We don’t always act according to moral code.
How to we get adolescents to engage in moral behaviour?
Shift self-concept to a moral person.
Promote behaviour through monitoring and evaluating actions.
What are the two types of memory?
Implicit (non-declarative)
Explicit (declarative)
Describe implicit memory in terms of development
~ No age-related improvements
~ Jumps at 9 months and stays stable
~ Priming tasks = not much difference across age ranges
~ Brain structures are primitive
~ develops early and stays stable (doesn’t develop gradually)
Describe explicit memory in terms of development
~ Increases across early development
~ Big increased capacity for explicit memory
We improve on explicit memory because:
~ Basic capacities improve (i.e. language)
~ Strategies for memory improve
~ Increased knowledge about memory
~ Increased knowledge about the world
Is there a shift in STM and WM across development?
A) Yes. Our capacity increases (speed of processing). We can process information faster because myelination of tracts in the brain.
STM capacity increases because we get better and faster at processing information. Driven by speed of processing.
B) Strategies improve - rehearsal, organisation, elaboration
As well as shifts in STM, WM and improved strategies, what else increases in memory across development?
C) Metamemory = we understand what is required about memory. We understand to remember things, it requires effort.
D) What changes; knowledge base about everything - child expert vs adult novice. Knowledge base influences memory performance regardless of age.
