moral development

Question

With reference to good moral behaviors such as compliance, self-control and prosocial behavior prepare an outline delineating the key factors affecting the development of these three moral behaviors being compliance, self-concept, and prosocial behavior. Include not only what the parents should do to obtain the above behaviors, but also the empirical support meaning the researchers for each idea.

Answer 1

Moral development begins in middle childhood (6-12 years of age).  Kohlberg's theory of moral development is comprised of three levels: 

1. preconventional reasoning, whereas a child's moral reasoning is controlled by rewards and punishment. 
2. conventional reasoning; a child will become compliant with certain principles and behaviors that are put in place by others around them (Santrock, 2007). (Think law and order here), and 
3. postconventional reasoning. During this stage, social behaviors are the focus. Everyone wants to fit in with their peers, so compliance with social norms within their groups and society as a whole is important to children (Wong, Hall, Justice, & Hernandez, 2015).

Piaget's theory of development consists of three stages:

1. Premoral (age 0-3 years): A child has limited moral understanding; there is limited concept of rules and punishment
2. Heteronomous (age 4-10 years): A child's moral understanding is that rules are fixed and controlled by adults. 
3. Autonomous (age 10 and older): A child begins to understand that rules can change, and the punishment should fit the crime (Wong, Hall, Justice, & Hernandez, 2015).

Erikson's theory of human development holds that a child's development begins in infancy. The child's first stage of development is trust vs. mistrust. The care the infant receives will determine whether the child develops trust for caregivers (and later, other people) or mistrust. If a parent provides positive and consistent response and care, the infant will develop trust in caregivers. If the infant receives inconsistent response and care, the child will develop mistrust in caregivers. Erikson's stages of development are continuous through the lifespan (Wong, Hall, Justice, & Hernandez, 2015). 

Middle childhood development brings with it the importance of self-identity, development of peer relationships, and sex and gender identity (Wong, Hall, Justice, & Hernandez, 2015). Being accepted by peers significantly impacts a child’s adjustment and coping capabilities, both in the short-term and long-term.  Children learn how to effectively communicate within a group, achieve problem-solving skills, and begin to comprehend standards for acceptance and rejection from others. Additionally, during this time frame, children want to be included and to fit in with others (Lease, Musgrove, & Axelrod, 2002). Children also begin to distance themselves from their parents and become more connected with their social groups and friends.  Children begin placing more importance on the opinions of their friends than their parents (Wong, Hall, Justice, & Hernandez, 2015).

Friendship quality and risk for social anxiety during middle childhood are strongly linked, particularly for females.  In addition, negative friendship qualities like conflict and betrayal make children at increased risk for developing social anxiety.  While social anxiety could be due to negative friendship, it may also contribute to the lack of positive relationships.  Avoidance and withdrawal, which can typically indicate social anxiety, may also delay the development of social skills during middle childhood (Greco & Morris, 2005).

I’m sure this information will help get you started on an outline and point you in the direction of specific researchers.

References



Lease, A. M., Musgrove, K. T., & Axelrod, J. L., (2002). Dimensions of social status in 

preadolescent peer groups: Likability, perceived popularity, and social dominance. Social 

Development, 11(4), 508–533.

Greco, L. A., & Morris, T. L. (2005). Factors influencing the link between social anxiety 

and peer acceptance: Contributions of social skills and close friendships during middle 

childhood. Behavior Therapy, 36, 197–205.

Wong, D. W., Hall, K. R., Justice, C. A., & Wong Hernandez, L. (2015). Counseling 

individuals through the lifespan. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.