Emotional Development and the Growth of Moral Self-Awareness

Abstract

Traditional moral development theories ascribe a significant role for emotion in moral development. Fear and anxiety over anticipated punishment are precursors to the internalization of moral values, for example, resulting in guilt or shame when children violate these internalized rules. This chapter argues that other emotions are also significant. These include (1) indignation or displeasure when young children observe harm to another; (2) empathic responding to another’s distress, contributing to guilt if the child is aware of culpability for that distress; (3) (empathic) happiness from sharing with another, together with the anticipation of positive affect in both benefactor and recipient from sharing; and (4) moral pride derived from self-initiated prosocial acts. Multiple emotions thus contribute to the development of moral self-awareness in young children, supporting the broader view that early morality is not just a punishment-based system of sanctions and rewards but also derives from young children’s sensitivity to human needs and feelings and their own emotional response to these conditions.