Social Cognition and Moral Development

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Chapter 13

• Social Cognition and Moral Development

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Theory of Mind

• Social cognition ability to understand
• psychological differences in others
• Adopt others perspectives
• Theory of Mind False Belief Task
• Where will Sally look for marble when she
  returns? (See next slide)
• Used to predict and explain human behavior before
  4 yrs of age
• he wanted to. . . he intended to. .

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Forerunners of Theory of Mind

• Joint attention
• Pretend play
• Imitation
• Emotional Understanding

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Nature and Nurture

• Nature Theory of mind proved adaptive
• Functioning in a social group
• Gain resources and survive
• Bargaining, conflict resolution, cooperation

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Nature and Nurture cont.

• Nurture Acquiring language and interaction
• Having siblings, sensitive parents
• Using mental states to explain behavior
• How do you think she felt?

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Factors that Influence Theory of Mind

• Maternal Factors
• Maternal-mindedness
• Mothers talk about own feelings
• Mothers encourage perspective taking
• Cultural differences

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Factors that Influence Theory of Mind

• Child Factors
• Secure attachment
• Ability to inhibit responses
• Sensory impairments

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Maltreatment and ToM

• Maltreated children were less likely to exhibit
  false belief understanding than both
  nonmaltreated children from lower SES and
  nonmaltreated from middle class.
• Timing abuse that occurred during toddler period
  was related to problems in false belief
  understanding
• Type of Abuse physical abuse because of harsh
  and unpredictable nature of abuse and uncertainty
  on part of child regarding expectations of
  parental behavior

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Person Perception

• Psychological traits observed
• Used to explain behavior
• By about age 7 or 8
• Understanding personality
• Through adolescence
• Used to evaluate others

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Role-Taking Skills

• The ability to adopt anothers perspective
• Moving away from egocentrism
• Essential in thinking about moral issues
• Beginning of empathy about age 2
• 3-6 yr olds egocentric
• 8-10 yr olds - own and others thoughts
• 12 - multiple perspectives
• Socially isolated older adults decline related to
  processing speed

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Perspectives on Moral Development

• Three components of morality
• 1) Cognitive Distinguish right from wrong
• 2) Behavioral Act accordingly (Prosocial)
• 3) Affective Feel pride and guilt or shame
• Empathy a vicarious experience
• Most are motivated to avoid negative emotions

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Psychoanalytic Theory

• Superego conscience
• Oedipus Complex
• Internalization of parental morals
• Emotion important in morality
• Responsive parenting important
• Gender differences unsupported

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Cognitive-Developmental Theory

• Piagets views
• Premoral Period not moral beings
• Heteronomous Morality ages 6-10
• Believe in rules from parents
• Consequences/amount of damage
• Autonomous at ages10-11
• Rules are agreements not absolutes
• Intention more important than consequences

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Kohlberg Reasoning about Moral Dilemmas

• Preconventional egocentric
• Punishment and obedience
• Instrumental hedonism
• Conventional consideration of others
• Good boy/girl morality
• Authority/social order maintaining
• Postconventional consideration of all
• Morality of contract
• Individual principles of conscience

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Social Learning Theory

• Moral Behavior (Bandura)
• Cognitive self-regulation
• Anticipation, apply consequences to self
• Moral disengagement
• No self condemnation for immoral acts
• Situational context important

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Early Moral Training

• Children internalize moral standards
• By 18-24 mo. learn through experiences to
• 1) Associate negative emotions with violating
  rules
• Positive relationship w/parent important
• 2) Exert self-control when tempted
• Prosocial behavior by age 2 (and earlier)
• Punishment must always be accompanied by an
  explanation

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Intentions and Rules Research

• Piaget consequences vs. intentions
• Nelson 3 yr. olds can judge intention
• Theory of mind I didnt mean it!
• Piaget questioning rules
• Turiel moral rules by age 2 1/2
• Adult rules often questioned

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Raising Moral Children

• Social Learning Theory
• R moral behavior
• Punish immoral behavior
• Model moral behavior
• Hoffman Three Approaches to Discipline
• Love withdrawal negative effects
• Power assertion moral immaturity
• Induction related to moral maturity

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Temperament and Moral Development

• Fearful, inhibited children
• Become more fearful when reprimanded
• Use gentle discipline
• Fearless, uninhibited children
• Relationship with parent important
• Goodness of fit
• What works for one child may not for another

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The Adolescent

• Changes in moral reasoning
• Shift to conventional reasoning
• Identity includes moral and values
• Two kinds of antisocial youth
• 1) Temporary in adolescence
• 2) Chronic/seriously aggressive
• Less empathy for distress of others
• Little remorse for criminal behavior

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Dodges Social Information-Processing Model

• Individuals reaction to frustration, anger
• Not simply social cues
• Deficient information processing
• For most, accuracy improves with age
• Aggressive kids show a bias toward attributing
  hostile intent/motive
• Also choose aggressive response
• Rejection, abuse in upbringing

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Pattersons Coercive Family Environments

• Ineffective parenting in childhood
• Family members in power struggle
• Try to control each other coercively
• Threatening, hitting, even abuse
• Unpleasant aggressive child
• Performs poorly in school
• Disliked by other children
• Chooses aggressive peer group

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Nature-Nurture

• Inherit predisposition for aggression
• Behavior evokes coercive parenting
• Parenting strengthens aggression
• Less opportunity to learn emotional control
• Exposure to violence in society
• Lower SES violence to solve problems
• Both bullies and victims of bullies more likely
  to behave violently

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The Adult

• Postconventional reasoning is possible
• Stable through about age 75
• Important moral lessons learned in life
• Spirituality search for meaning in life
• Evident among reflective adults
• Religion Little change even in old age

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Advanced Moral Reasoning

• Necessary cognitive skills
• Perspective-taking
• Formal operations
• Social learning experiences
• Interactions with parents
• Discussions with peers
• Higher education
• Democracy

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Kohlberg in Perspective

• Sequence supported
• Devalued parental influence not supported
• Emphasis on peer contributions supported
• Cultural bias
• Liberal bias
• Gender bias not supported