Moral behaviors: What can behaviorists learn from the developmental literature?

Abstract

Research on moral in children is sorely lacking in the behavioral literature. Yet, behavioral research documenting effective treatment of children with behavioral and emotional problems has often failed to generalize or to focus on moral behavior. Developmental psychologists have researched moral and have provided models of moral development in children. The authors of this paper have reviewed this literature in an attempt to encourage behavioral researchers to critical evaluate the developmental literature in light of what it may have to offer in the area of moral behavior. Moral is of great concern to society in general and to parents, teachers and others who care for children. Children with behavioral and emotional problems often behave well when they are provided with external structure and contingencies, but seem to be lacking in internalization, morality and the development of a conscience. Much has been researched and written about moral development in the developmental literature, but behaviorists disregard most of this literature and refuse to research this topic because such concepts are considered to be vague terms for a set of complex behaviors at best, and most often explanatory fiction (Skinner, 1953). Yet, behaviorists serve many children who act as if they lack a conscience and would benefit if their motivation was internalized and yet they are satisfied to simply say that their immoral behavior is a failure to generalize. The authors of this paper have reviewed the developmental literature in an attempt to glean from it any information that may be useful (i.e. where inferred concepts have been translated into operationally defined behaviors that can be observed and measured) to the understanding and treatment of children with behavioral and emotional disorders.