Psychological explanations: Cognitive Explanations Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Psychological explanations: Cognitive Explanations Deck (9)
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1
Q

Level of moral reasoning

A

Moral reasoning refers to the process by which an individual draws upon their own value system to determine whether an action is right or wrong.

  • Kohlberg attempted to objectify this process by identifying different levels of reasoning based on people’s answers to moral dilemmas
2
Q

What did Kohlberg’s theory propose?

A
  • 3 levels of moral development, with each level split into two stages.
  • Kohlberg suggested that people move through these stages in a fixed order, and that moral understanding is linked to cognitive development.
  • Preconventional
  • Conventional
  • Postconventional.
3
Q

Pre-conventional morality

A
  • Lasts until approximately age 9.

- a need to avoid punishment and gain rewards, is associated with less mature, child like reasoning.

4
Q

Conventional morality

A
  • Acceptance of social rules concerning right and wrong. At the conventional level (most adolescents and adults), we begin to internalize the moral standards of valued adult role models.
5
Q

Post-conventional morality

A
  • Characterised by an individuals’ understanding of universal ethical principles.
  • These are abstract and ill-defined, but might include: the preservation of life at all costs, and the importance of human dignity.
  • According to Kohlberg this level of moral reasoning is as far as most people get.
6
Q

In what stage are criminals most likely to be classified in?

A

Pre-conventional level of Kohlberg’s model

7
Q

Cognitive distortions

A

Faulty, biased and irrational ways of thinking that mean we perceive ourselves, other people and the world inaccurately and usually negatively

8
Q

Hostile attribution bias

A

The tendency to judge ambiguous situation, or the actions of others, as aggressive and/or threatening when in reality they may not be

9
Q

Minimalisation

A

A type of deception that involves downplaying the significance of an event or emotion. A common strategy when dealing with feelings of guilt.