Download cognitive development

Psychology 1230: Psychology
of Adolescence
Don Hartmann
Fall 2005
© Lecture 15: Moral Development
I (Moral Reasoning)
1
Administration V: Portions of Sample
Lecture Critique (Fictitious)
Name: Argyle King
Lecture Topic: Gays & Lesbians
I found the PowerPoint slides well done—as usual. But I thought the slides
of homosexual sex were over the top.
I think that you should not take an advocacy position, but instead just give
us the facts. If you insist on proselyting for gays, how about equal time
for the homophobes and those of us who find the gay lifestyle immoral.
Us straights should be protected—we are an endangered species.
I like the candy tossing, but my dad said our medical insurance does not
cover injuries from tossed candy—particularly aged candy. Don’t toss
in my direction.
What about the well-known fact that most gay men are pedophiles, and that
most mass murderers are bisexual?
What is the name of the girl that sits in the back by the door? She’s hot.
Do you have her phone number?
Favorite Lecture: Methodology II: It sang to me!
How to improve course: Less on drugs, sex, & violence; more on theory &
methodology.
2
Supplementary Reading

www.angelfire.com/comics/
mooreportal/kitty.html

Turiel, E (1998). The development of
morality. In W. Damon (Editor-in-chief) &
N. Eisenberg (Vol. Ed.), Handbook of
child psychology. Vol. 3: Social,
emotional, and personality development
(5th ed., pp. 863-932). New York: Wiley.
3
4
Moral Development



Goals: To familiarize you with the 3
traditional approaches of morality; and to
introduce you to an early and influential
theory of moral development: Piaget’s
theory
Text Overlap: Pp. 273-274
Lecture:



Introduction: The 3 Faces of Morality
Cognitive-Developmental Theory (Moral
Reasoning): Piaget
Next: Lect. #15b: Morality II (Kohlberg)
5
Poor Kitty—it started with her
death


March 14, 1964.
The brutal murder of Kitty
Genovese and the
disturbing lack of action
by her neighbors became
emblematic in what many
perceived as an evolving
culture of violence and
apathy in the United
States. In fact, social
scientists still debate the
causes of what is now
known as "the Genovese
Syndrome."
6
Sometimes Our Superegos
Can be Too Demanding
7
Introduction
The 3 faces



Affective: psychoanalytic—how
guilt & shame develop & operate
Cognitive: cognitive developmental—how
do we think about or reason about
moral content?
Behavioral: Cognitive social theory– self
control & moral behavior
8
Cognitive Developmental Theory


Study morality by looking at the
development of moral reasoning: the
thinking that children display when deciding
whether various acts are right or wrong.
And moral reasoning depends to a large
extent on the child’s cognitive development.
9
Piaget


It all began with interviews with
children about the game of marbles
Piaget generated three stages (with
the traditional characteristics:
qualitative, invariant, coherent,
hierarchical):
10
Piaget: The Stages


PREMORAL stage (no regular rules; 4-5);
the purpose of the game is to have fun
HETERONOMOUS morality (rules as moral
absolutes -- they have always been that way and
always will be. Ages 5-10



expiatory punishment -- punishment for its own sake
with no relation to the nature of the forbidden act
immanent justice -- violations of social rules will
invariantly be punished)
MORAL RELATIVISM (rules as arbitrary; intent
important; reciprocal punishment). Age 1011
How Do Children Progress—
according to Piaget?

Experience: Involvement in equalitarian
relationships




lessen the child’s unilateral
respect for adult authority
increases the child’s self-respect
and respect for peers
illustrates that rules are arbitrary agreements
that can be changed with the consent of the
people they govern
Cognitive maturation
12
Contributions of Piaget’s
Theory of Moral Development



+
His clinical interview method—
following the child wherever he/she
goes in their explanations.
Linking moral reasoning to cognitive
development.
Recognized the importance of peers.
+
+
13
Difficulties with Piaget’s
Theory of Moral Development




Piaget sold children short: Under-estimated
what they could do and under-estimated
when they would do it
Under-estimated the modifiability of moral
reasoning
Stopped moral development short at about
the early teens. Is there nothing after moral
relativism?
Misunderstood the extent to which children
understood intentional information: The
heteronymous child does use intentional
information!
14
15
Summary Moral Development
I (Piaget) Lecture


The 3 Faces of Morality
Cognitive-Developmental
Theory (Moral Thinking): Piaget
Stages
 Strengths & weaknesses

 Next:
Lecture 15b: Moral
Development II
 Go in Peace
16