The Psychology Of Moral Development

The Handbook of Moral Development is the definitive source of theory and research on the development of morality. Since the publication of the first edition, ground-breaking approaches to studying the development of morality have re-invigorated debates about what it means to conceptualize and measure morality in early childhood, how children understand fairness and equality, what the evolutionary basis is for morality, and the role of culture. The contributors of this new edition grapple with these questions and provide answers for how morality originates, changes, evolves, and develops during childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood. Thoroughly updated and expanded, the second edition features new chapters that focus on: infancy neuroscience theory of mind moral personality and identity cooperation and culture gender, sexuality, prejudice and discrimination Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the study of moral development, this edition contains contributions from over 50 scholars in developmental science, cognitive psychology, social neuroscience, comparative psychology and evolution, and education.

A CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title 2014! This class-tested text provides a comprehensive overview of the classical and current theories of moral development and applications of these theories in various counseling and educational settings. Lively and accessible, this text engages students through numerous examples and boxes that highlight applications of moral development concepts in today’s media and/or interviews from some of today’s leading theorists or practitioners. Dilemma of the Day boxes help readers apply theory to real world situations. Each chapter concludes with discussion questions and further resources. Summary tables of theory strengths and weaknesses (Part 1) and tables that connect applications to their theoretical roots are provided in Part 2. Other highlights include: Provides an excellent resource for courses addressing the CACREP program objectives for Human Growth and Development. Emphasis on application helps readers make the connection between theory and moral issues of our time. Examines changes across time and experience in how people understand right and wrong and individual differences in moral judgments, emotions, and actions. Demonstrates how theory is used by today‘s helping professionals (Part 1). Integrates issues of gender and ethnicity throughout to prepare readers for practicing in a global culture. Chapter on global perspectives (ch. 6) reviews theories on the cultural aspects of morality including examples from China, Islam, Latin America, and Africa. Reviews the latest research methods techniques used in the field. Integrates classic work with contemporary guidelines for assessment and treatment. Highlights research on the moral and empathic development of antisocial youth, psychopaths, and individuals diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum. Each chapter in Part 1 provides a comprehensive overview of the theory under review, its strengths and challenges, and examples of how the theory applies to helping professionals. The theories covered include those by Freud, Piaget, Kohlberg, Rest, Gilligan, Nodding, Bandura, Turiel, Nucci, Haidt, and Shweder. Part 1 concludes with a summary of the key points and the strengths and weaknesses of each of the theories reviewed. Part 2 highlights promising applications of moral development theory in education and counseling. These include coverage of character education programs based on sound developmental theory and examples of how drawing on a deep grounding in moral development theory can help future counselors better evaluate their clients’ cognitive, emotional and behavioral challenges. The text explores specific approaches to helping clients with a variety of dysfunctional or developmental behavior problems like conduct disorder and psychopathy. Ideal as a text for advanced undergraduate and/or graduate courses on moral development or moral psychology or as a supplement in courses on human and/or child and/or social and personality development taught in psychology, counseling, education, human development, family studies, social work, and religion, this book’s applied approach also appeals to mental health and school counselors.

Every year in this country, some 10,000 college and university courses are taught in applied ethics. And many professional organizations now have their own codes of ethics. Yet social science has had little impact upon applied ethics. This book promises to change that trend by illustrating how social science can make a contribution to applied ethics. The text reports psychological studies relevant to applied ethics for many professionals, including accountants, college students and teachers, counselors, dentists, doctors, journalists, nurses, school teachers, athletes, and veterinarians. Each chapter begins with the research base of the cognitive-developmental approach--especially linked to Kohlberg and Rest's Defining Issues Test. Finally, the book summarizes recent research on the following issues: * moral judgment scores within and between professions, * pre- and post-test evaluations of ethics education programs, * moral judgment and moral behavior, * models of professional ethics education, and * models for developing new assessment tools. Researchers in different professional fields investigate different questions, develop different research strategies, and report different findings. Typically researchers of one professional field are not aware of research in other fields. An important aim of the present book is to bring this diverse research together so that cross-fertilization can occur and ideas from one field can transfer to another.

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.

In Exemplarist Moral Theory of Linda Zagzebski presents an original moral theory based on direct reference to exemplars of goodness, whom we identify through the emotion of admiration. Using examples of heroes, saints, and sages, she shows how narratives of exemplars and empirical work on the most admirable persons can be incorporated into the theory to serve both theoretical and practical purposes.

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.