Chapter 4 Flashcards
(41 cards)
Biological Factors
Behavior depends on an individual’s biological
predispositions.
Learning Theories
Behavior depends on the rewards an individual has received.
– Modeling Theory
– Reinforcement Theory
Kohlberg’s Moral Stage Theory
Emotional, physical, and cognitive development happen in stages
Biological Factors (1 of 2)
Links between brain and predisposition to certain behaviors.
Genetics plays a role in determining schizophrenia, autism, dyslexia, learning disabilities, gambling addictions, and criminality
Including such differences as whether someone is introverted/extroverted, neurotic/stable, etc
Shermer and Evolution
- Shermer argues that traits such as sympathy, fairness, self-control, and duty are inherited because they are adaptive.
That over millions of generations human groups
evolved these traits because they helped them survive
And that we are hardwired for these feelings and emotions through genetic selection
The Moral Molecule
Research focuses on hormones, including oxytocin, serotonin, and testosterone.
Paul Zak focuses on the importance of oxytocin going so far as to call it the “moral molecule”
It is released in pregnant woman and when nursing
It is also released when people pet their dogs(yeah!), have sex, or hug someone.
The brain releases it when we feel trust and safety and promotes altruistic reciprocity
Oxytocin
People that do not have the receptors to receive it are at best selfish and at worse psychopaths.
Churchland (2011) explains that the hardwiring of the brain promotes bonding and empathy, through oxytocin.
And that it is the fundamental building block of all moral reasoning.
Serotonin
Enhancing serotonin has been shown to make subjects more likely to judge harmful acts as forbidden, and increased subject’s aversion to blaming others
Serotonin can affect both moral judgment and moral behavior
Testosterone, men and women
Testosterone has long been identified as being
associated with aggression.
Over 70 studies have shown that men are more likely to cheat, be more antisocial, commit more serious types of offenses, and have more serious childhood conduct disorders
There are also sex differences in delinquency, school performance, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and attention deficit disorders
Biological Factors (2 of 2)
Frontal lobes of the brain implicated in:
– Feelings of empathy
– Shame
– Moral reasoning
individuals with frontal-lobe damage may display related to unethical behaviors.
Research shows moral decision-making seems to take place in different areas of brain.
The Frontal Lobes
The frontal lobes of the brain are implicated in not only reasoning but also feelings of empathy, shame and moral reasoning.
Phineas Gage.
People with frontal lobe damage display unethical behaviors including increased impulsiveness, decreased attention span,
tendency toward rude, unrestrained, tactless behavior, and a tendency to be able to follow instructions
Emotions and Rationality
Jonathon Haidt (2001) decribed the relationship
between emotions and rationality as a rider on an elephant,
With the elephant representing the emotional part of human reactions and choices and the rider representing cognitive, rational, ethical decision making.
Learning Theory (premise)
Premise: All human behavior is learned; therefore, ethics is a function of learning rather than reasoning.
Children learn what they are taught.
Including morals and values and well as behavior in general.
Modeling
Imitating the behavior of others
* Parents and other adults provide role models for children through their behavior
* Religion??
* Sports team??
* Politics??
* Smoking/drinking?
* Violence?
* Winning sports teams??
* Models and the “cool kids” ??
Reinforcement
A behavior that is rewarded will be repeated
After enough reinforcement, the behavior becomes permanent
The individual develops values consistent with the behavior (cognitive dissonance)
Jean Piaget (1896-1980)
Piaget believed individuals go through stages of
cognitive, or intellectual, growth that is related to their moral awareness.
He believed that children move from egocentrism to cooperativeness as they lean to play with others
To eventual organized play and further development
Kohlberg’s Moral Stage Theory (1 of 3)
Premise: Moral development, like physical growth, occurs in stages.
- They involve qualitative differences in modes of thinking, as opposed to quantitative differences.
- Each stage forms a structured whole; cognitive development and moral growth are integrated.
- Stages form an invariant sequence; no one bypasses any stage, and not all people develop to the higher stages.
- Stages are hierarchical integrations.
-With each stage moving away from pure egoism toward altruism
Kohlberg’s Moral Stage Theory (2 of 3) (Pre-conventional)
Approach to moral issues motivated purely by personal interests
Conventional Level
Approach to moral issues motivated by socialization
Post-Conventional Level
Approach to moral issues motivated by desire to discover universal good beyond own self or own society.
Stage 7
Kolberg advanced the possibility of a seventh stage,
An orientation of cosmic or religious thinking
This stage focuses on “agape” a nonexclusive love and acceptance of the cosmos and one’s place in it.
Recognition Tests
Tests have been developed to measure what moral stage a person is in
Workgroup and Organizational
Influence (1 of 2)
individuals sometimes behave in ways that are
contrary to their belief systems when exposed to external influences.
Bandura’s mechanisms:
– Moral justification
– Euphemistic labeling
– Advantageous comparison
– Displacement of responsibility
– Diffusion of responsibility
– Disregard or distortion of the consequences
– Dehumanization
Bandura (2002)
Bandura sees social and moral maturity as being affected by outside forces such as work groups and organizations.
He argues that our ethical systems can be turned off, leading to inhumane acts and immorality through mechanisms
