Deck 14: Section 2: Moral Development

Question 1

According to Piaget, advances in children's moral reasoning are a result of:

A) brain maturation.
B) peer interactions.
C) parental influence.
D) formal education.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Piaget would expect which child to progress into the stage of autonomous morality most quickly?

A) Adena, whose cognitive development is progressing typically
B) Barry, who makes up games with his friends in the neighborhood
C) Carla, whose parents are highly authoritarian
D) Dean, who has few peer interactions as he is schooled at home with a private tutor

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Piaget's stage of the morality of constraint is generally characteristic of children in which stage of Piaget's theory of cognitive development?

A) formal operational
B) preoperational
C) concrete operational
D) postoperational

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Research using which type of procedure has demonstrated preschoolers' use of intentionality to evaluate others' behaviour?

A) asking for judgments using moral dilemmas
B) evaluating differences in the morality of characters as described in different scenarios
C) observing differences in children's willingness to help others who accidentally or purposely hurt another person
D) All of these actions demonstrate use of intentionality.

Question 5

According to Kohlberg, individuals at the most advanced stage of moral reasoning believe that morally right behaviour involves:

A) upholding laws.
B) universal principles of justice.
C) obedience to authorities.
D) doing what is expected by people close to the individual.

Question 6

Which phase is NOT one of Kohlberg's stages of moral reasoning?

A) conventional
B) unconventional
C) postconventional
D) preconventional

Question 7

Which comparison between Piaget's and Kohlberg's theories of moral judgment is accurate?

A) Piaget and Kohlberg agreed that to young children, right and wrong is determined by obedience to rules set by authority figures.
B) Piaget and Kohlberg agreed on the number of stages individuals pass through before achieving mature moral reasoning.
C) Piaget believed that the development of moral reasoning is continuous, whereas Kohlberg believed it is discontinuous.
D) Piaget believed that age-related cognitive development is important for the development of moral reasoning, whereas Kohlberg de-emphasized this factor.

Question 8

Which trait is NOT a characteristic of peer interactions that influences children to make the transition from Piaget's stage of moral constraint to the stage of autonomous morality?

A) egalitarian
B) focused on rule-based games
C) cooperative
D) antagonistic

Question 9

Which statement describes an aspect of Piaget's theory of moral judgment that has been supported by research?

A) Interacting with peers stimulates moral development.
B) Preschool-aged children do not consider intentionality when reasoning about morality.
C) Children increasingly consider motives when judging the morality of actions.
D) All of these have been supported by research.

Question 10

During Piaget's transitional period, children:

A) become more concrete in their thinking.
B) become more susceptible to influences by their peers as to what is right and wrong.
C) begin to value fairness.
D) demonstrate greater respect for adults' impressions of morality.

Question 11

Kohlberg classified children into stages of moral development on the basis of their:

A) age.
B) choices made in response to moral dilemmas.
C) cognitive ability, such as perspective-taking skills.
D) reasoning behind moral decisions.

Question 12

Which statement about Piaget's and Kohlberg's beliefs about morality is true?

A) In order for a behaviour to be deemed moral or immoral, the reasoning behind the behaviour must be taken into account.
B) Behaviours can be deemed moral or immoral solely on the basis of the behaviour and not the reasoning behind it.
C) Children are generally unable to make moral judgments when they are not faced with an actual moral decision.
D) Children's morality can be examined only by observations of their behaviour.

Question 13

What has been demonstrated by research on young children's ability to appreciate the importance of intentionality in morality?

A) Consistent with Piaget's theory, young children are unable to consider intentionality in their moral reasoning.
B) In contrast to Piaget's theory, young children are able to consider intentionality in their moral reasoning when the consequences of the behaviour are made more salient.
C) In contrast to Piaget's theory, young children are able to consider intentionality in their moral reasoning when the motives behind the behaviour are made more salient.
D) In contrast to Piaget's theory, young children are nearly as capable of considering intentionality in their moral reasoning as are older children.

Question 14

Piaget believed that parental control of young children's behaviour was a key factor in the importance placed by young children on:

A) rules as inflexible laws.
B) fairness and equality.
C) the necessity of a punishment fitting the crime.
D) motives and intentions in determining the morality of behaviour.

Question 15

Children in Piaget's stage of autonomous morality believe that rules are:

A) inflexible.
B) the product of social interaction.
C) "real" things that exist outside of people.
D) always "right."

Question 16

According to Piaget, a child whose moral reasoning involves which thought is in the earliest stage of moral development?

A) consideration of individuals' motives and intentions
B) understanding that rules can be changed if a majority in the group decides to change them
C) believing that behaviours that break rules are bad and behaviours that follow rules are good
D) All of these thoughts are indicators of the earliest stage.

Question 17

When presented with Piaget's stories designed to assess children's moral reasoning, Piaget would expect 11-year-old Jabar to say that:

A) the child who broke 15 glasses is naughtier than the child who broke 1 glass.
B) the child who broke 1 glass is naughtier than the child who broke 15 glasses.
C) both children are very naughty.
D) neither child is naughty.

Question 18

According to Piaget, how many stages of development are involved in children's moral reasoning?

A) five
B) three, with transitional periods between the stages
C) two, with a transitional period between the stages
D) two

Question 19

A child in which of Piaget's stages of moral development does NOT take intentions into account when determining whether a behaviour is moral or immoral?

A) autonomous morality
B) morality of constraint
C) transitional period
D) conventional level

Question 20

When presented with Piaget's stories designed to assess children's moral reasoning, Piaget would expect 6-year-old Phoebe to say that:

A) the child who broke 15 glasses is naughtier than the child who broke 1 glass.
B) the child who broke 1 glass is naughtier than the child who broke 15 glasses.
C) both children are very naughty.
D) neither child is naughty.

Question 21

Which statement about the moral reasoning of males and females is true?

A) Males tend to be more concerned with protecting their image in the social circle when they make moral judgments.
B) Females tend to focus their moral judgments more on issues of caring for other people than do males.
C) Males tend to be less able to reason at their full cognitive capacity when faced with moral dilemmas.
D) Differences in males' and females' moral reasoning are more apparent when reasoning about hypothetical moral dilemmas than when reasoning about dilemmas in their own lives.

Question 22

Differences in which factor are considered to be the source of the different pattern of moral reasoning shown by individuals in non-Western societies?

A) biology
B) socioeconomic status
C) education
D) values

Question 23

Consider this prosocial moral dilemma: "On his way to school, a boy named Freddie sees another boy fall in the mud and start to cry. The boy says he hurt himself and asks Freddie to help him up, but Freddie is worried that if he helps him, he will get himself all muddy. What should Freddie do?" Which response would be considered the LEAST advanced by Eisenberg?

A) "Freddie should help because the boy is hurt."
B) "Freddie should not help because his teacher will think he is bad if he gets to school all dirty."
C) "Freddie should help because he will feel bad if the boy is hurt and he doesn't help him."
D) "Freddie should not help the boy because he will get dirty, and he doesn't want to get dirty."

Question 24

Which statement constitutes conventional moral reasoning?

A) "I shouldn't do that because it is my responsibility to fulfill my duties."
B) "I shouldn't do that because I will get caught and I don't want to be punished."
C) "I shouldn't do that because it is not in the best interest of society."
D) "I shouldn't do that because it won't do me much good."

Question 25

Judgments that pertain to societal customs are referred to as:

A) social conventional judgments.
B) moral judgments.
C) personal judgments.
D) prosocial judgments.

Question 26

Concern with _____ is characteristic of the MOST advanced level of prosocial reasoning.

A) living up to one's values
B) others' approval
C) guilt or positive emotions related to the consequences of one's behaviour
D) one's own interests

Question 27

Which statement about changes in children's prosocial moral reasoning is true?

A) Children's prosocial moral reasoning becomes increasingly abstract.
B) The stages outlined by Eisenberg are completely distinct from Kohlberg's stages of moral reasoning.
C) Children are increasingly concerned with their own needs as they develop.
D) The level of prosocial moral reasoning in which children are classified has little association with how prosocial their behaviour is.

Question 28

Judgments that pertain to issues of right and wrong are referred to as:

A) social conventional judgments.
B) moral judgments.
C) personal judgments.
D) prosocial judgments.

Question 29

Which of the following factors seems to affect Canadian children's moral judgment but not the judgment of children from all cultures?

A) gender
B) socioeconomic status
C) age
D) whether telling the truth would be boasting

Question 30

Which statement about children's beliefs about the domains of social judgment is true?

A) Children generally believe that moral violations are still wrong even if an authority figure does not see them.
B) Children generally believe that social conventional violations are more wrong than moral violations.
C) Young children generally believe that parents have authority over social conventional and personal judgments.
D) Children generally cannot distinguish among personal, moral, and social conventional judgments until late elementary school.

Question 31

Which stage of Kohlberg's theory of moral judgment is LEAST likely to be exhibited?

A) Stage 1
B) Stage 3
C) Stage 5
D) Stage 6

Question 32

Which decision would be MOST likely to be considered by people in Western cultures to be a personal judgment?

A) choosing whether or not to wear a tie to a formal restaurant
B) deciding whether to play soccer or baseball after school
C) deciding whether to put one's napkin on one's lap or leave it on the table
D) choosing whether or not to return a $10 bill dropped by a person standing ahead in line

Question 33

Which statement about individuals' level of moral reasoning is true?

A) Individuals with a higher degree of education tend to reason at a higher level than do others.
B) Individuals whose moral reasoning is at higher levels are more likely to help others.
C) Individuals whose moral reasoning is at higher levels are less likely to engage in delinquent activities.
D) All of these statements are true.

Question 34

Imagine this prosocial moral dilemma: "On his way to school, a boy named Freddie sees another boy fall in the mud and start to cry. The boy says he hurt himself and asks Freddie to help him up, but Freddie is worried that if he helps him, he will get himself all muddy. What should Freddie do?" Which response would be categorized into Eisenberg's approval orientation level (Level 3)?

A) "Freddie should help because the boy is hurt."
B) "Freddie should not help because his teacher will think he is bad if he gets to school all dirty."
C) "Freddie should help because he will feel bad if the boy is hurt and he doesn't help him."
D) "Freddie should not help the boy because he will get dirty, and he doesn't want to get dirty."

Question 35

Which situation is an example of a prosocial moral dilemma?

A) Heinz must decide whether to steal a drug to save the life of his wife.
B) Drebben must decide whether to stop while on his way to work and help a person whose car has broken down on the highway.
C) Jasper must decide whether to do his homework or play outside with his friends.
D) Brigham must decide whether to cheat on an exam for which he has just been given the correct answers.

Question 36

Which statement is NOT a frequent criticism made of Kohlberg's theory of moral reasoning?

A) The stories and scoring system are biased toward the intellectualized Western conception of morality.
B) The stages of moral reasoning are not sufficiently distinct.
C) The classification into stages is biased against females.
D) Kohlberg did not sufficiently differentiate between morality and social convention.

Question 37

Which statement constitutes postconventional moral reasoning?

A) "I shouldn't do that because it is my responsibility to fulfill my duties."
B) "I shouldn't do that because I will get caught and I don't want to be punished."
C) "I shouldn't do that because it is not in the best interest of society."
D) "I shouldn't do that because my parents won't think I am a good boy."

Question 38

Assuming all the following statements are lies, which was MOST likely told by a child in China?

A) "It wasn't me who cleaned the classroom."
B) "I was me who cleaned the classroom."
C) "It wasn't me who took the candy."
D) "It was me who won the fight."

Question 39

Based on most of the existing research, which assertion is a true statement about the effect of cultural values on moral reasoning and prosocial moral reasoning?

A) The stages of moral reasoning and prosocial moral reasoning are universal, and individuals in all cultures progress through the stages at similar rates and eventually mature to the same level.
B) Individuals in different cultures progress through the stages of moral reasoning and prosocial moral reasoning at different rates, but individuals in all cultures eventually mature to the same level.
C) The pattern of changes in moral reasoning and prosocial moral reasoning in childhood appear to be similar across a variety of cultures, but individuals in all cultures do not always reach the same level.
D) Moral reasoning and prosocial moral reasoning vary to a great extent across cultures, including the pattern of developmental changes in early childhood.

Question 40

Concern with _____ is characteristic of the LEAST advanced level of prosocial reasoning.

A) others' approval
B) guilt or positive emotions related to the consequences of one's behaviour
C) one's own interests
D) physical needs of others

Question 41

Which emotion at age 22 months predicts morality at age 54 months?

A) fear
B) guilt
C) sadness
D) joy

Question 42

A particular allele variant of the serotonin transporter gene SLC6A4 appears to cause children to be:

A) especially reactive to their rearing environment.
B) low in fearfulness.
C) particularly high in moral reasoning.
D) All of these can be caused by this variant.

Question 43

Which statement about the effect of temperament on the development of conscience is true?

A) Harsh discipline is equally effective at promoting children's internalization of parents' standards for children of all temperamental styles.
B) Gentle discipline is equally effective at promoting children's internalization of parents' standards for children of all temperamental styles.
C) Gentle discipline is effective at promoting children's internalization of parents' standards for temperamentally kind children, but not for temperamentally angry children.
D) Gentle discipline is effective at promoting children's internalization of parents' standards for temperamentally fearful children, but not for temperamentally fearless children.

Question 44

Research by Kochanska has demonstrated that children develop a conscience in different ways according to:

A) whether they are girls or boys.
B) their socioeconomic status.
C) whether they are fearful or not.
D) their level of intelligence.

Question 45

Arnold sees that another child has forgotten his lunch and is crying. Arnold feels like crying. Arnold is MOST likely experiencing:

A) altruism.
B) conscience.
C) empathy.
D) sympathy.

Question 46

Altruistic motives include:

A) obtaining rewards.
B) gaining social approval.
C) being consistent with one's moral principles.
D) All of these are altruistic motives.

Question 47

At what age do children begin to become upset when others are distressed?

A) infancy
B) preschool age
C) elementary school age
D) toddlerhood

Question 48

Which factor is associated with children's internalization of parents' standards and values?

A) harsh discipline
B) parental power
C) rational explanations
D) insecure parent‒child relationship

Question 49

Which of these components of social judgment varies by culture?

A) designation of behaviours as social conventional or personal
B) consideration of whether attending to the needs of strangers is a moral obligation or a matter of personal choice
C) distinction between social convention and morality
D) All of these components vary by culture.

Question 50

Which motivation is NOT a characteristic of altruistic behaviour?

A) generally performed in exchange for social approval
B) inspired by empathy
C) motivated by the desire to behave consistently with one's conscience
D) inspired by sympathy

Question 51

Compared to temperamentally fearful children, those who are temperamentally fearless require _____ in order to promote development of their conscience.

A) mutual cooperation
B) more patience
C) greater rewards for compliance
D) more physical punishment

Question 52

Research on the serotonin transporter gene SLC6A4 suggests that knowing which allele variant an individual has would enable one to predict:

A) the age at which the individual will develop a conscience.
B) whether the individual's conscience development will be negatively affected by low maternal responsiveness.
C) whether the individual attains the highest levels of moral judgment.
D) whether the individual is likely to internalize his or her parents' standards of morality.

Question 53

Casey hears that her friend has forgotten her homework and is afraid that the teacher is going to yell at her. In response, Casey is concerned for her friend and worries about how her friend is going to handle the situation. Casey is experiencing:

A) altruism.
B) conscience.
C) empathy.
D) sympathy.

Question 54

The notion of differential susceptibility is related to the:

A) importance of genetics.
B) importance of environment.
C) additive effects of genetics and environment.
D) interaction between genetics and environment.

Question 55

Which phrase is NOT regarded as true of a young child's conscience?

A) restrains antisocial impulses
B) reflects self-defined standards
C) promotes prosocial behaviour
D) mirrors parents' beliefs

Question 56

Which statement about preschool children's prosocial behaviour is true?

A) Preschool children almost never engage in prosocial behaviour without explicit instruction from adults.
B) The prosocial behaviour of preschoolers is unassociated with their later behaviour.
C) Prosocial behaviour in preschoolers is generally associated with decreased altruism in adulthood, as prosocial preschoolers tend to rebel against their parents' expectations in adolescence.
D) Children who spontaneously engage in prosocial behaviour tend to be more concerned with others' needs throughout childhood and adolescence than are their peers.

Question 57

The internal regulatory system that increases an individual's ability to conform with socially approved standards of behaviour is referred to as:

A) prosocial behaviour.
B) altruism.
C) consciousness.
D) the conscience.

Question 58

By what age do children begin to exhibit concern for and try to comfort others without getting upset themselves?

A) 6 to 9 months
B) 18 to 25 months
C) 2 to 2.5 years
D) 3 to 3.5 years

Question 59

The feeling of concern in reaction to another's negative emotion or negative situation is referred to as:

A) altruism.
B) conscience.
C) empathy.
D) sympathy.

Question 60

The emotional reaction to another's negative emotion or negative situation is referred to as:

A) altruism.
B) conscience.
C) empathy.
D) sympathy.

Question 61

Children who tend to _____ are particularly likely to enact prosocial behaviour.

A) get overwhelmed by others' distress
B) be unresponsive to others' emotions
C) experience emotion without getting overwhelmed
D) be inhibited

Question 62

Relational aggression is aggression motived by the desire:

A) to obtain something concrete.
B) for revenge.
C) to damage another's peer relationships.
D) to harm another person.

Question 63

Which behaviour is considered an example of aggression?

A) hitting
B) verbal insults
C) excluding others
D) All of these behaviours are examples of aggression.

Question 64

The "Roots of Empathy" program in schools in Canada centres around which of the following?

A) building self esteem through role-playing activities
B) visits from a mother and infant
C) writing about how to behave in a more socially responsible way
D) an antibullying campaign

Question 65

Which statement is an accurate description of the developmental progression of physical and verbal aggression from 3 years of age through the elementary school years?

A) Physical and verbal aggression both increase in frequency.
B) Physical and verbal aggression both decrease in frequency.
C) Physical aggression increases in frequency, whereas verbal aggression decreases in frequency.
D) Physical aggression decreases in frequency, whereas verbal aggression increases in frequency.

Question 66

Which cultural practice is NOT likely to lead to increased prosocial behaviour and/or decreased antisocial behaviour?

A) living with extended families in a traditional culture
B) having responsibilities for other family members
C) having fathers who are relatively less involved with their wives and children
D) emphasizing support of others' thoughts and feelings

Question 67

Prosocial behaviour is MOST likely to be observed in which group of children?

A) Children whose mothers responded immediately to their emotional distress.
B) Children whose mothers allowed them to experience some negative emotion before responding to them.
C) Children whose mothers are rated as least responsive to their needs.
D) Children whose mothers are best educated.

Question 68

Which statement about parental socialization of sympathy and prosocial behaviour is true?

A) Parental warmth and support appear to be sufficient to promote prosocial tendencies.
B) The use of rewards and punishment is moderately effective at fostering altruism.
C) Children who are often encouraged by their parents to engage in helpful activities often fail to internalize prosocial values as they become bored with or even rebel from these practices.
D) None of these statements is true.

Question 69

Which statement about school-based interventions designed to promote prosocial behaviour is true?

A) They have only been attempted with advantaged European-American children.
B) They involve taking children out of their regular environments in order to make the empathy training more salient and seem more important.
C) The enhanced sense of community is associated with greater prosocial behaviour and fewer problem behaviours.
D) They have some immediate benefits, but only within the classroom environment in which the intervention took place.

Question 70

Which statement about parental influence on children's prosocial behaviour is true?

A) Parents have little influence on children's prosocial behaviour.
B) Only direct modeling of prosocial behaviour is associated with children's own prosocial behaviour.
C) Parents' communication of prosocial values is related to children's adoption of the value of prosocial behaviour.
D) Similarities between parents and children in prosocial behaviour are due primarily to genetic similarities.

Question 71

The study that involved interviewing individuals who had rescued Jews from the Nazis in Europe during World War II demonstrated that, compared to "bystanders," "rescuers" were more likely to recall their parents as having taught them the importance of:

A) caring for all human beings.
B) independence.
C) ethical obligations to family, church, and community.
D) economic competence.

Question 72

Which statement by a parent is MOST likely to teach children the value of being prosocial?

A) "If we help that boy, he will be less sad."
B) "We should help that boy because it is a good thing to do."
C) "We are nice people, so we should help that boy."
D) "It will make us feel good to help that boy."

Question 73

What percentage of youths in Canada who commit crimes commit VIOLENT crimes?

A) 75%
B) 62%
C) 54%
D) 39%

Question 74

Which statement about the development of prosocial behaviours is true?

A) Toddlers tend to comfort a distressed adult only when prompted by their parents.
B) The distinction between another's emotional distress and one's own develops by the age of 4.
C) Toddlers frequently show expressions of sympathy when comforting others.
D) Young children regularly act in prosocial ways.

Question 75

Prosocial behaviour:

A) decreases with age in childhood and then increases into adulthood.
B) is less common than self-focused discomfort (in response to others' distress) before the age of 18 months.
C) is rarely seen in children under the age of 2, although they often display empathy and sympathy.
D) is less common than aggressive behaviour in response to others' distress.

Question 76

Parents influence the development of prosocial behaviour in their children through all of these EXCEPT:

A) modeling.
B) communicating values.
C) providing opportunities for prosocial activities.
D) authoritarian parenting practices.

Question 77

Individual differences in _____ have been shown to be associated with prosocial behaviour.

A) oxytocin
B) serotonin
C) dopamine
D) None of the answers is correct.

Question 78

Which parenting practice is LEAST likely to influence children to be sympathetic and to behave in a prosocial manner as they get older?

A) providing material rewards for prosocial behaviour
B) referencing moral responsibilities in discipline
C) modeling prosocial behaviour
D) having discussions with children that appeal to their ability to sympathize

Question 79

Instrumental aggression is aggression motived by the desire:

A) to obtain something concrete.
B) for revenge.
C) to damage another's peer relationships.
D) to harm another person.

Question 80

Twin studies conducted to examine the genetic contribution to prosocial behaviour have found that:

A) fraternal twins and identical twins are equally similar to each other in levels of prosocial behaviour, and their similarity decreases with age.
B) fraternal twins and identical twins are equally similar to each other in levels of prosocial behaviour, and their similarity increases with age.
C) identical twins are more similar to each other in levels of prosocial behaviour than are fraternal twins, and their similarity decreases with age.
D) identical twins are more similar to each other in levels of prosocial behaviour than are fraternal twins, and their similarity increases with age.