TY - JOUR
T1 - Relations of moral reasoning and vicarious emotion to young children's prosocial behavior toward peers and adults
AU - Miller, Paul
AU - Eisenberg, Nancy
AU - Fabes, Richard
AU - Shell, Rita
PY - 1996/3
Y1 - 1996/3
N2 - Four- and 5-year-old (primarily) Euro-American children (40 girls, 34 boys) participated in a study of moral reasoning, vicarious emotional responding, and prosocial behavior. Children's prosocial behavior and self-reported and facial reactions of vicarious emotion were obtained in response to 2 peer distress films and 2 adult distress simulations. Moral reasoning was assessed with prosocial moral dilemmas. Children's emotional responses were found to be related to analogous types of moral reasoning and were associated in expected ways with helping of peers and adults. Higher levels of moral reasoning were positively related to prosocial behavior. Children high in both other-oriented moral cognitions and sympathy were most helpful toward peers. The pattern of findings suggested that linkages are being formed in the preschool years not only between other-oriented affect and cognitions but also between those that are self-focused in nature.
AB - Four- and 5-year-old (primarily) Euro-American children (40 girls, 34 boys) participated in a study of moral reasoning, vicarious emotional responding, and prosocial behavior. Children's prosocial behavior and self-reported and facial reactions of vicarious emotion were obtained in response to 2 peer distress films and 2 adult distress simulations. Moral reasoning was assessed with prosocial moral dilemmas. Children's emotional responses were found to be related to analogous types of moral reasoning and were associated in expected ways with helping of peers and adults. Higher levels of moral reasoning were positively related to prosocial behavior. Children high in both other-oriented moral cognitions and sympathy were most helpful toward peers. The pattern of findings suggested that linkages are being formed in the preschool years not only between other-oriented affect and cognitions but also between those that are self-focused in nature.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=37849189463&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=37849189463&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/0012-1649.32.2.210
DO - 10.1037/0012-1649.32.2.210
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:37849189463
SN - 0012-1649
VL - 32
SP - 210
EP - 219
JO - Developmental psychology
JF - Developmental psychology
IS - 2
ER -