Download Self and Moral Development Class 6

Self and Moral Development
Middle Childhood thru Early
Adolescence
Formations of Self Concept
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Preschool
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Early School Age
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Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence
Ratio of aspirations to successes
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Class activity
Social comparisons
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Cls w/ lower self-esteem will be more
effected by external evaluative messages
and are more reactive to social feedback
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Are reluctant to call attention to selves
and more self protective
Self esteem
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Competence
 In
important (to the client) domains
Plus
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Social Support
Gender, Race, & Ethnicity
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Girls vs. Boys
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Minorities
Morality
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1) Capacity to judge right from wrong
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2) Preferring to act in ways judged right
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NOT THE SAME AS RELIGION
Morality
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Concern for others
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Sense of justice
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Trustworthiness
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Self-control
Moral Development Theories
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Freud’s: Not supported by research
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Piaget: Not exactly accurate
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3-5 yrs; superego; identification
Premoral
Heteronomous 5-8
Autonomous 8-12
Kohlberg: Not exactly accurate
Preconventional
 Conventional
 Post-Conventional
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So what do we know
By age 3 children judge moral rules as more
serious than conventional rules
 By 4 to 5 they will not want to break a moral
rule even if told to do so by an adult
 By 9-10 they can classify moral vs conventional
rules
 By adolescence they tend to believe parents
have the right to regulate and enforce moral
behavior, may have minimal conflict around
conventional behavior, and have high conflict
around personal rules
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Altruism
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Emotions
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After preschool children:
Decentering +understanding others emotions + perspective taking + role
taking =
increased empathy/sympathy
Older children- abstract thinking allows for empathy toward groups not
observed
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Cognitions: need-based reasoning-balancing personal/other needs
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Pre-school: concern for own needs
Early Elem: may see other’s needs & act on them, no guilt
Later Elem: recognize helping is required/ socially approved
Adol +: sympathy, guilt, duty, self-respect, consistency w/ own values
Other

Positive self concept (competent & secure) & assertiveness -> altruistic
Parenting that promotes Altruism
Authoritative w/ mild power assertion &
induction
 Parents modeling pro social values &
happiness @ altruism
 Altruistic role models they respect
 Provide opportunities for prosocial action

Other ways to promote empathy
Help empathize w/ other’s distress
 Focus on other vs. self = self-control
 Increase affective & cog empathy
 Balance concern for self w/ concern for
others
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Applications
Self esteem
 Inflated but tentative self-esteem
 Real vs perceived self dissonance
 Realistic view of social support
 Internalized values/standards
 Parents firm and nurturing
 Community relationships
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