Prosocial behaviour and moral reasoning

Question 1

define prosocial behaviour

Answer 1

Voluntary behaviour intended to benefit another

Question 2

what is altruistic behaviour

Answer 2

Motivated purely by desire to help another, at cost to oneself

Question 3

how does prosocial behaviour differ from altruistic

Answer 3

Pattern of behaviour, regardless of motivation (potential benefit/associated costs to the donor)

Question 4

what are the evolutionary roots of prosocial behaviour

Answer 4

Increase survival of kin
more likely to assist genetically related individuals
enhance acceptance from a group

Question 5

evidence of prosociality as innate

Answer 5

Spontaneous prosocial behaviour in children from relatively early age
Some evidence from twin studies of genetic contribution to prosocial tendencies

Question 6

evidence of prosociality as learnt

Answer 6

Early attachment to parents
Parental/ adult responses to behaviour important

Question 7

when does prosocial behaviour emerge

Answer 7

Around first birthday, helping behaviour emerges
Rapidly increases in toddler/preschooler period, and then slowly thereafter into early adulthood

Question 8

how does prosocial behaviour occur

Answer 8

Shift to act according to moral principles, rather than for selfish motivations or to gain approval

Question 9

how have experiments shown to reinforce social behaviour

Answer 9

Explicit scaffolding (encouragement and praise) increases prosocial behaviour in infants (ex: Dahl et al., 2017)

Question 10

how have experimental studies shown modelling prosocial behaviour

Answer 10

Observing helpful behaviour increases prosocial behaviour in infants
More likely to copy skilled, warm, and familiar models

Question 11

what is the issue with measuring prosociality in experiments

Answer 11

artificial environments
unfamiliar experimenters

Question 12

what is an observational study

Answer 12

Observe spontaneous, naturally occurring behaviour (directly or through reports

Question 13

procedure of Harmond and Bromwell

Answer 13

Parents asked to report on helping behaviour and motivations in 1-4-year-olds

Question 14

Harmond and Bromwell findings

Answer 14

helping increased with age

Question 15

how did Warmeken and Tomasello assess spontaneous helping

Answer 15

24 18-month-olds
Experimental condition: looked at object and child, verbalized problem
Control: neutral face toward object

Question 16

findings of Warneken and Tomasello

Answer 16

Children more likely to help in experimental condition for most tasks Immediately in most cases

Question 17

when might helping be restricted

Answer 17

ability to interpret goals or needs

Question 18

how do parenting styles influence prosocial development

Answer 18

secure attachment = higher empathy
Parents who are empathic, respond sensitively, encourage empathy

Question 19

what other factors influence prosocial development

Answer 19

Perspective-taking ability

Ability to regulate emotions

Question 20

how may culture influence prosocial behaviour

Answer 20

Values placed on cooperation vs. competition, individualism vs. support

Question 21

what is moral reasoning

Answer 21

How we reason or judge whether an action is right or wrong

Question 22

what were Piaget’s three stages of moral reasoning

Answer 22

premoral
moral realism
moral subjectivism

Question 23

what age is the premoral stage

Answer 23

up to 4 years

Question 24

what is the premoral stage

Answer 24

rules not understood

Question 25

what age is the moral realism stage

Answer 25

4-10 years

Question 26

what is is the moral realism stage

Answer 26

rules come from higher authority, cannot be changed

Question 27

what age is the moral subjectivism stage

Answer 27

10+

Question 28

what is the moral subjectivism stage

Answer 28

rules mutually agreed by players, can change

Question 29

what is Piaget's dilemma method

Answer 29

asked "which child is the naughtiest"

Question 30

findings of dilemma method

Answer 30

Up to 9/10 years, children judge based on amount of damage, not motive or intention

Question 31

problems with the dilemma design

Answer 31

Unequal damage distracts children “bad intentions” are vague

Question 32

What did Kohlberg do

Answer 32

expand on Piaget's concepts across the lifespan, not just childhood

Question 33

Kohlberg's levels of moral reasoning

Answer 33

Preconventional Conventional Postconventional

Question 34

what is preconventional morality

Answer 34

Reason in relation to self, little understanding of shared rules Seek pleasure, avoid punishment

Question 35

what people experience preconventional morality

Answer 35

Children under 9, some adolescents, adult “criminal offenders”

Question 36

stage 1 of preconventional morality

Answer 36

Concerned with authority, obey rules to avoid punishment

Question 37

stage 2 of preconventional morality

Answer 37

Weigh the risks and benefits action determined by one's needs

Question 38

what is conventional morality

Answer 38

Importance of rules, expectations, conventions of society

Question 39

who experiences conventional morality

Answer 39

most adolescents and adults

Question 40

stage 3 conventional morality

Answer 40

focus on interpersonal relationships Being good = having good motives

Question 41

stage 4 conventional morality

Answer 41

Performing one’s duty to maintain social order

Question 42

what is postconventional morality

Answer 42

Understanding of moral principles underlying laws

Question 43

what is stage 5 post conventional morality

Answer 43

importance of functioning society AND individual rights

Question 44

what is stage 6 postconventional morality

Answer 44

Following universal ethical principles even when law violates the principle

Question 45

when does postconventional morality occur

Answer 45

not until 20, and not for everyone

Question 46

criticisms of Kohlberg

Answer 46

Dilemmas criticized for being too artificial cultural bias - favours individualism gender bias - ppts male