Novel Developmental Perspectives On The Link Between Morality And Social Outcomes

This collection highlights research on morality in human development.

The psychological study of moral development has expanded greatly, both in terms of the diversity of theoretical perspectives that are represented in the field, as well as in the range of topics that have been studied. This Handbook of Moral Development represents the diversity and multidisciplinary influences on current theorizing about the psychological study of moral development and the range and broad scope of topics being considered by scholars in the field.

This volume presents a selection of some of the most exciting new perspectives on moral development that have emerged over the last decade and have transformed our understanding of the field. The contributors to this book cut across traditional boundaries to provide an innovative and integrative approach to fundamental questions dealing with the nature and acquisition of morality. In addressing these questions, the chapters draw on new work on the origins of morality in infancy and the early years, comparative approaches examining morality in primates, new perspectives on moral emotions such as guilt and empathy, and new perspectives on the emerging moral self in childhood and moral identity in adolescence. The book also examines the roles of parenting and culture in children’s and adolescents’ moral development. Each chapter is framed in theory and methodology and provides illustrative examples of new research to address important questions in the field. This book is essential reading for researchers and advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students studying moral development and developmental psychology. It will also be of interest to academics and professionals in related fields such as education and public policy.

Originally published in 1989, this joint venture of American and Polish psychologists provides an international perspective on the psychological factors that make people attend to the well-being of others and of society. The individual sections focus on: theoretical perspectives in the nature of values; the development of positive values; the place of values in various types of decisions; the regulation of behaviors through values and the relation of values to behavioral outcomes; and sociopolitical, socioeconomic, and historical perspectives on values.

This book was inspired by an intimate, stimulating, intellectually enrich ing conference that took place in Poland. However, the book is not a conference report. Rather, at the time of the conference, participants agreed that it would be worthwhile to create a volume representing the international state of knowledge in pro social behavior, and many of them agreed to write chapters. This volume is the outcome. The book contains chapters by outstanding researchers and scholars who have made substantial contributions to some aspect of scholarship about pro social behavior-helpfulness, generosity, kindness, coopera tion, or other behavior that benefits people. The book concerns itself with how prosocial behavior comes about and what influences contrib ute to or inhibit it; how prosocial behavior, or values and other personal characteristics that promote prosocial behavior, develop; how socializa tion, peer interaction, and other experiences contribute to development; and with the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral consequences of re ceiving help. Some chapters directly, and a number of them implicitly, concern themselves with applications of knowledge about prosocial be havior, particularly with the question of how cooperation and behavior that benefits other people can be promoted. The purpose of the book is. in part to show where the field stands and what knowledge we have accumulated, and in part to suggest fu ture directions and advance the field. It is a truly international book, with contributors from most countries where research on pro social be havior is being conducted.

The publication of this unique three-volume set represents the culmination of years of work by a large number of scholars, researchers, and professionals in the field of moral development. The literature on moral behavior and development has grown to the point where it is no longer possible to capture the “state of the art” in a single volume. This comprehensive multi-volume Handbook marks an important transition because it provides evidence that the field has emerged as an area of scholarly activity in its own right. Spanning many professional domains, there is a striking variety of issues and topics surveyed: anthropology, biology, economics, education, philosophy, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, social work, and more. By bringing together work on diverse topics, the editors have fostered a mutually-beneficial exchange not only between alternative approaches and perspectives, but also between “applied” and “pure” research interests. The Theory volume presents current and ongoing theoretical advances focusing on new developments or substantive refinements and revisions to existing theoretical frameworks. The Research volume summarizes and interprets the findings of specific, theory-driven, research programs; reviews research in areas that have generated substantial empirical findings; describes recent developments in research methodology/techniques; and reports research on new and emerging issues. The Application volume describes a diverse array of intervention projects — educational, clinical, organizational, and the like. Each chapter includes a summary report of results and findings, conceptual developments, and emerging issues or topics. Since the contributors to this publication are active theorists, researchers, and practitioners, it may serve to define directions that will shape the emerging literature in the field.

"Questions addressing people's moral lives, similarities and differences in the moral concepts of cultural groups, and how these concepts emerge in the course of development are of perennial interest. In a globalizing world, addressing what is universal and what is culturally distinctive about moral development is pressing. More than ever, well-substantiated knowledge of diverse peoples' moral compasses is needed. This book presents the cultural-developmental theory of moral psychology, findings from numerous countries, and four instruments for conducting cultural-developmental research. The central thesis is that humans are born with a shared moral heritage and that, as we develop from childhood into adulthood, we branch off in diverse directions shaped by culture - resulting in novelty and contention. An international group of eminent and cutting-edge scholars from anthropology, psychology, and linguistics addresses this timely topic and explores how gender, social class, and 'culture wars' between liberals and conservatives play into moral development across cultures"--