Slide 1 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 1 A Topical Approach to LIFE-SPAN DEVELOPMENT John W. Santrock Chapter Thirteen: Moral Development, Values, and Religion

Slide 2 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 2 Domains of Moral Development What is moral development? –Changes in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors regarding standards of right and wrong –An intrapersonal dimension: regulates activities –An interpersonal dimension: regulates social interactions and arbitrates conflict

Slide 3 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 3 Domains of Moral Development Piaget’s theory –Heteronymous morality (ages 4 to 7) Justice, rules are seen as unchangeable properties of the world, removed from the control of people (ages 7 to 10): in transition between the two stages –Autonomous morality (ages 10 and older) Becomes aware rules and laws created by people; in judging an action, they intentions and consequences –Immanent justice If a rule is broken, punishment will be meted out immediately

Slide 4 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 4 Domains of Moral Development Kohlberg’s theory –Moral reasoning unfolds in universal stages –Tested by story with moral dilemma –Theory of three levels, two stages in each –Reflects some of Piaget’s concepts

Slide 5 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 5 Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development Preconventional reasoning — lowest level (good or bad based on external rewards and punishment) Stage 1. Heteronomous morality — tied to punishment Stage 2. Individualism, instrumental purpose, and exchange tied to equality Conventional reasoning — intermediate level (one applies certain standards, but are set by others) Stage 3. Mutual interpersonal conformity, expectations, relationships to others is basis of judgment Stage 4. Social systems morality based on social order, law, justice, and duty Postconventional - highest level (recognizes other moral courses, explores options, decides own moral code Stage 5. Social contract or utility and individual rights (evaluates validity of actual laws, social systems for preserving/ protecting basic human rights, values) Stage 6. Universal ethical principles — moral standard on universal human rights

Slide 6 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 6 Domains of Moral Development Kohlberg’s theory –Evaluation Seventh stage added: cosmic perspective Peer interaction critical influence –Criticisms Moral reasons (overemphasized) can be shelter for immoral behavior (underemphasized) Faulty research: difficult to measure morality Culturally biased? – universality of stages one to four found in twenty-seven mostly non-European cultures

Slide 7 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 7 Age and Percentage of Individuals at Each Kohlberg Stages Fig Mean percent of moral reasoning at each stage Age (years)

Slide 8 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 8 Domains of Moral Development Families and moral reasoning –Family processes, relationships important in children’s moral development –Gilligan: Kohlberg’s theory is gender-biased Korlberg’s theory has justice perspective — focus on rights of individual, one stands alone and independently Gilligan’s care perspective — views people in terms of connectedness with others; girls interpret moral dilemmas in terms of human relationships

Slide 9 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 9 Domains of Moral Development Reasoning –Social conventional reasoning Focus on conventional rules created by social consensus to control behavior, maintain society –Arbitrary and subject to individual judgment –Moral reasoning Focuses on ethical issues and rules of morality Obligatory, widely accepted, somewhat impersonal –Distinction: personal domain (issues are personal)

Slide 10 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 10 Domains of Moral Development Moral behavior –Basic Processes of reinforcement, punishment, and imitation: behavior is situation-specific Influence of others present like peers –Resistance to Temptation and Self-Control Influenced by cognitive rationales, factors –Social Cognitive Theory of Morality Distinguishes between moral competence (ability to produce moral behaviors) and moral performance (actually performing them)

Slide 11 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 11 Domains of Moral Development Moral feeling –Freud’s psychoanalytic theory Foundation of moral behavior is avoid guilt feelings Superego: moral branch of personality (two parts) –Ego ideal — rewards for acting ideal standards; sense of pride and personal value –Conscience — punishes for disapproved acts; feeling guilty and worthless –Children internalize parents’ standards; self-control replaces parental control

Slide 12 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 12 Domains of Moral Development Moral feeling –Empathy Reacting to another’s feelings with emotional response similar to other’s feelings Cognitive component — perspective-taking Develops from infant’s global empathy Children’s ability depends on awareness that people have different reactions to situations

Slide 13 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 13 Domains of Moral Development Role of emotion in moral development –Contemporary perspective When strongly felt, both positive and negative feelings contribute to moral behavior –Positive feelings: empathy, sympathy, admiration, self-esteem –Negative feelings: anger, outrage, shame, guilt –Some emotions undergo developmental change throughout childhood and beyond; interwoven with cognitive and social aspects of development

Slide 14 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 14 Domains of Moral Development Moral personality –Three key dimensions: thoughts, behavior, feelings –Fourth dimension: personality Core that may constitute moral personality –Moral identity: willpower, integrity, moral desire –Moral character: convictions, persistence, focus –Moral exemplars: being honest and dependable; having set of virtues reflecting moral excellence »Different types (e.g. brave, caring)

Slide 15 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 15 Contexts of Moral Development Parenting –Piaget and Kohlberg discounted parents’ input to children’s moral development –Parents see themselves in primary role Relational quality –Mutual obligations of close relationship –Parental power of discipline, child’s self-control

Slide 16 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 16 Contexts of Moral Development Parenting –Parents see themselves in primary role Proactive strategies (monitoring, distracting child) –Cocooning (protect from exposure) –Pre-arming (discuss what could happen, what to do) Conversational dialogue –Can be planned or spontaneous –Can encourage, teach, contribute to child’s moral development

Slide 17 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 17 Contexts of Moral Development Parenting linked to child’s moral behavior –Parenting recommendations Warm and supportive, not punitive Use inductive discipline Provide opportunities for children Involve children in decisions Model moral behaviors Provide info and foster internal morality

Slide 18 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 18 Contexts of Moral Development Schools –The Hidden Curriculum Character Education –Direct moral education approach teaches students basic moral literacy to prevent immoral behavior, doing harm to themselves or others Values Clarification –Helps clarify what life is for, what to work for –Students encouraged to define own values and understand others’ values

Slide 19 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 19 Contexts of Moral Development Schools –The Hidden Curriculum Cognitive Moral Education –Students should value things like democracy and justice as moral reasoning develops –Instructor is facilitator, not director Service Learning –Form of education that promotes social responsibility and service to community –Benefits student volunteers and recipients

Slide 20 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 20 Contexts of Moral Development Cheating in schools –Moral education concern Plagiarism, cheat sheets in exams, purchasing papers Copying from another student, falsifying lab reports –2006 survey: 60% had cheated Many reasons given for ‘why’ –Power of the situation has impact –Strategies, preventive measures need to occur Promote academic integrity

Slide 21 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 21 Contexts of Moral Development Moral education –Integrative approach Use reflective moral thinking and commitment to justice Discuss students’ experiences Adult coach students in ethical decision making Students need to experience a caring community –Integrative ethical education Program builds on concepts of expertise Goal: turn moral novices into moral experts

Slide 22 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 22 Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior Prosocial behavior –Altruism and Reciprocity Altruism: unselfish interest in helping another person, mostly evoked by empathy –Many prosocial behaviors involve reciprocity; the obligation to return a favor with a favor Sharing and fairness: a developmental sequence –Equality (same, fair) –Merit (earned, deserve it) –Benevolence (special treatment for disadvantaged)

Slide 23 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 23 Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior Prosocial behavior and gender –Females engage in more prosocial behavior than males –Altruism and volunteerism in older adults Older adults engage in more altruistic behavior and volunteering Volunteering linked to positive outcomes More satisfied in life, less depressed and anxious, better physical health

Slide 24 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 24 Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior Antisocial behavior –Most children diagnosed with “conduct disorder” –Conduct disorder Age-inappropriate behaviors, attitudes violating norms, rights of others Behaviors encompass a wide range Serious conduct problems –Externalizing or undercontrolled patterns of behavior

Slide 25 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 25 Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior Antisocial behavior –Juvenile delinquency: adolescents who commit illegal acts Broad concept; behaviors from littering to murder More males than females; female behaviors increasing Behaviors peak at ages 16 to 18 Early onset more negative outcome than late onset Rates among minority groups and lower-socioeconomic- status youth

Slide 26 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 26 Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior Causes of Juvenile delinquency –Pittsburgh Youth Study: Antecedents –Authority conflict –Covert Acts –Overt Aggression Not exclusively lower-SES phenomenon; characteristics of lower-SES culture can promote delinquency –High-status traits for boys –Affected by family and peer relationships

Slide 27 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 27 Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior Causes of Juvenile delinquency –Family Less skilled parents, lack of child monitoring, family discord, inappropriate discipline methods, physical abuse, presence of delinquent siblings or peers –Cognitive factors Low self-esteem, low IQ, lack of sustained attention, low self-control

Slide 28 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 28 Values, Religion, Spirituality, and Meaning Spirituality –A sense of connectedness to a sacred other Values –Beliefs, attitudes about the way things should be –Measured by asking what one’s goals are –Youth of today have stronger interest in welfare of society Lack of clear goals leads to only short-term focus

Slide 29 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 29 Values, Religion, Spirituality, and Meaning Religion and spirituality –Societies use many methods to ensure people carry on religious traditions –Most adopt religious teachings of upbringing –Most religious change occurs in adolescence –Positive relationship or secure attachment with parents make adolescents more likely to adopt religious orientation of parents

Slide 30 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 30 Values, Religion, Spirituality, and Meaning Religion and spirituality –Piaget’s views Adolescents think more abstractly, idealistically, logical Logical reasoning gives ability to form hypothesis and systematically sort through religious questions –Religion important to most adolescents Link between identity and spirituality in adolescence and early adulthood

Slide 31 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 31 Values, Religion, Spirituality, and Meaning Positive role of religion in adolescents’ lives –Church going linked to better grades from low- income backgrounds –Lower rates of delinquency and drug use –Better ability to cope with problems –More sensitivity to well-being of others, commitment to community service

Slide 32 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 32 Values, Religion, Spirituality, and Meaning Positive role of religion in adults’ lives –More important to women than men –Important to adults around the world; importance may change with aging 70% of Americans religious –African Americans and Latinos show higher rates of religious participation –Individual differences in religion in middle adulthood

Slide 33 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 33 Values, Religion, Spirituality, and Meaning Religion and health –Religious sect members resist using medical treatments and pain-relieving medications –Positive link between religious commitment and health Lifestyle: lower drug use Social networks: more connected to others Coping with stress; more comfort and support More optimism, positive perceptions of pain, loss

Slide 34 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 34 Values, Religion, Spirituality, and Meaning Religion in older adults –Linked to mortality; church attendance lowers risk –Increased more for women than men –Linked to spirituality in early adulthood –Faith is most significant influence in one’s life –Put faith into practice more often –Highest commitment linked to highest self-esteem, life satisfaction, and optimism

Slide 35 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 35 Values, Religion, Spirituality, and Meaning Religion in older adults –Has psychological benefits Derived sense of meaning in life Meaning in Life –Frankl’s three most distinct human qualities Spirituality, freedom, responsibility –Quest for meaningful life is need for Purpose and values A sense of self-efficacy and self-worth

Slide 36 © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 36 The End