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Moral Development - Coggle Diagram
Moral Development
Beginnings of Self Control
Kopp’s three phases: Phase 1: Infants start learning that their actions have limits. Phase 2: Toddlers start resisting impulses, even when parents aren’t present.Phase 3: Impulse control continues to develop throughout childhood.
Studies show some kids naturally have better self-control than others.
Example: A preschooler told not to touch a phone is likely to also wait before opening a present.
At home: Kids with strong self-control confess to misdeeds and follow rules without reminders.
How Kids can Improve Self Control:
Prioritize Long Term Goals, Reduce Temptation
Marshmallow test: 3- to 5-year-olds were told to wait 15 minutes for a better reward. Successful strategies included: ✅ Talking to themselves (“I have to wait for the best prize!”). ✅ Singing or playing games to distract themselves.
Girls Might Be Slightly Better at Delayed Gratification (Silverman, 2003).
The Role of Trust (Kidd et al., 2012): Kids were more likely to wait for rewards when they trusted adults to keep promises. If adults broke promises, kids gave in to temptation much faster.
Learning about Moral Rules
By Age 3: Preschoolers distinguish moral rules (protecting others) from social conventions (cultural norms).
Understanding Lies vs. Mistakes: Preschoolers know the difference between lies and honest mistakes (Siegal & Peterson, 1998).
Signs of Guilt: When they damage something, preschoolers often show guilt: distress, apologizing, and trying to fix the problem (Kochanska et al., 1995).
Tattling Behavior: Older siblings are more likely to tattle and do so truthfully, reporting according to the family's standards (Ross & den Bak-Lammers, 1998).
Parental Influence
Parental Modeling Matters: Kids imitate the self-control levels they see at home.
Strict Parenting Can Backfire: Overly controlling parents reduce kids’ ability to self-regulate
Encouraging Independence Helps: Giving choices (e.g., “Do you want to read or color after dinner?”) fosters self-regulation.
Temperament Influences
Temperament Shapes Self-Control: Emotional kids struggle more with self-regulation. If a child can’t control their emotions, they may also struggle with impulse control.
Anxious/Fearful Kids:Fear of misbehaving keeps them in check. They comply easily when reminded because they don’t want to get in trouble. However, excessive anxiety can be unhealthy and may interfere with social interactions.
Fearless/Bold Kids: Less likely to comply out of fear. Better motivated by positive reinforcement and strong attachment to parents. Downside: Bold kids may take dangerous risks (e.g., climbing on furniture).