Educational Learning Theories
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Psychology and the Aims of Normative Ethics”
Regina A. Rini (forthcoming). “Psychology and the Aims of Normative Ethics”. To appear in Springer Handbook of Neuroethics (ed. J. Clausen and N. Levy). Psychology and the Aims of Normative Ethics Regina A. Rini University of Oxford [email protected] Abstract: This chapter discusses the philosophical relevance of empirical research on moral cognition. It distinguishes three central aims of normative ethical theory: understanding the nature of moral agency, identifying morally right actions, and determining the justification of moral beliefs. For each of these aims, the chapter considers and rejects arguments against employing cognitive scientific research in normative inquiry. It concludes by suggesting that, whichever of the central aims one begins from, normative ethics is improved by engaging with the science of moral cognition. Key words: is/ought gap, moral agency, moral intuition, moral philosophy, ought-implies- can I. Three Central Questions of Normative Ethics It is undeniable that the field of empirical moral psychology has grown dramatically in the last decade, with new experimental techniques allowing us unprecedented understanding of the causal and computational structures of the human moral faculty. Or, at least, it is undeniable that this research contributes to a descriptive project, one of better understanding the facts about who we are and how we think.1 But what might be denied is that these investigations have much to offer to normative ethics, a distinctively prescriptive sort of inquiry.2 The purpose of this chapter is to show why normative ethics - the study of 1 Although this chapter discusses quite a range of psychological findings, it is not intended to be a comprehensive overview of the empirical literature. -
Lawrence Kohlberg
F. CLARK POWER LAWRENCE KOHLBERG The Vocation of a Moral Educator INTRODUCTION Shortly after Lawrence Kohlberg’s death, I (Power, 1991) noted that perhaps the most revealing statement about Kohlberg’s life was the epilogue to his first book, “Education for Justice: The Vocation of Janusz Korczak” (Kohlberg, 1984). In that Epilogue, which I helped him to compose, he re-told the story of Janusz Korczak, who gave up a lucrative medical practice to work as a moral educator in orphanages for Jewish and Christian children in Warsaw. That work led him to the Warsaw ghetto and finally to Treblinka, where he died with the orphans whom he refused to abandon. Throughout his life, Korczak had a remarkable sense of being called to care for poor and neglected children. In his early career as an author and a medical doctor, he dedicated himself to serving the poor. A champion of children’s rights, he left medicine for education in orphanages because he wanted to treat children’s souls. In establishing “Little Republics” in which children engaged in democratic governance, his orphanage schools resembled the just community programs that Kohlberg himself established. To claim that Kohlberg had a vocation to be a moral educator may strike many as puzzling or even preposterous. Kohlberg is best known for his pioneering contributions to developmental psychology, especially for his stages of moral development. Yet, as one who worked closely with Kohlberg during the latter part of his career, I believe that we cannot understand his life as a whole without considering his vision of moral education and the significance his work in the just community programs had for him. -
Lawrence Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development from Wikipedia
ECS 188 First Readings Winter 2017 There are two readings for Wednesday. Both are edited versions of Wikipedia articles. The first reading adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Kohlberg's_stages_of_moral_development, and the second reading is adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics. You can find the references for the footnotes there. As you read the article about moral development please think about you answered the Heinz Dilemma in class, and in which stage did your justification lie. I do not plan on discussing our answers to the Heinz Dilemma any further in class. As you read the ethic article, please think about which Normative ethic appeals to you, and why. This will be one of the questions we will discuss on Wednesday. My goal for both of these readings is to help you realize what values you bring to your life, and our course in particular. Lawrence Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development from Wikipedia Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of moral development constitute an adaptation of a psychological theory originally conceived by the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget. Kohlberg began work on this topic while a psychology graduate student at the University of Chicago[1] in 1958, and expanded upon the theory throughout his life. The theory holds that moral reasoning, the basis for ethical behavior, has six identifiable developmental stages, each more adequate at responding to moral dilemmas than its predecessor.[2] Kohlberg followed the development of moral judgment far beyond the ages studied earlier by Piaget,[3] who also claimed that logic and morality develop through constructive stages.[2] Expanding on Piaget's work, Kohlberg determined that the process of moral development was principally concerned with justice, and that it continued throughout the individual's lifetime,[4] a notion that spawned dialogue on the philosophical implications of such research.[5][6] The six stages of moral development are grouped into three levels: pre-conventional morality, conventional morality, and post-conventional morality. -
Philosophy 316K Science and Philosophy: Moral Psychology MWF 1:00-2:00 GAR 3.116
Philosophy 316K Science and Philosophy: Moral Psychology MWF 1:00-2:00 GAR 3.116 “In present-day philosophy an explanation is required how an unjust man is a bad man, or an unjust action a bad one; to give such an explanation belongs to ethics; but it cannot even be begun until we are equipped with a sound philosophy of psychology.” G. E. M. Anscombe “Scientists and humanists should consider together the possibility that the time has come for ethics to be removed temporarily from the hands of the philosophers and biologicized." E. O. Wilson “I do not believe that a moral philosophy can ever be founded on a scientific basis. The valuation of life and all its nobler expressions can only come out of the soul’s yearning toward its own destiny. Every attempt to reduce ethics to scientific formulas must fail. Of that I am perfectly convinced.” Albert Einstein Instructor: Michael Dale Email: [email protected] Office: WAG 421 Office Hours: XXXXXXXX & by appointment 1 Course Description: This particular version of Science and Philosophy will focus on the burgeoning field of moral psychology. The last few decades have seen unprecedented advances in the empirical sciences, particularly neuroscience, psychology, and evolutionary biology. What happens when these empirical findings—many of which undermine or at least come into conflict with our ordinary intuitions about ourselves and the world—run up against the traditionally theoretical discipline of ethics? Can they weigh in on such debates or should they be understood as mere descriptions of the world? For example, can the empirical finding that peoples’ behavior is not so much predicted by their character traits but instead by the situations that they find themselves in undermine virtue ethics, which presupposes the existence of character traits? Or what about morality itself? Can the idea that natural selection shaped our moral beliefs call the objectivity of morality into question? In this class, we attempt to answer these questions. -
Chapter 1: Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks for Understanding Adolescent Problem Behavior
ChapteR 1: Theoretical and Conceptual frameworks for Understanding Adolescent Problem behavior oVeRVIeW change and encompasses both cognitive and behav- ioral approaches. It moves beyond the narrower be- As a platform for this Adjunct Guide to Driving With havioral perspective defined by the early behaviorists Care, we begin by presenting a number of promi- (e.g., Miller & Dollard, 1941; Skinner, 1938, 1953) nent concepts and theories that provide a concep- and includes the cognitive perspective. Cognitive tual framework for understanding, interpreting and learning assumes that there are psychological factors predicting the development, dynamics, and outcome that influence behavior. of adolescent problems. We look at theories that are particularly relevant to understanding the causal and However, SLT also holds that behavior is influenced dynamic factors of underage AOD use and abuse and by environmental factors, and not just psychological underage impaired driving (UID). An effort is made or cognitive factors. Thus, SLT assumes that psycho- to relate each of these theories to underage drinking logical and environmental factors combined influence and UID. the development of specific behaviors. sUMMARY of seleCTeD ConCePTUAl SLT stresses the importance of attending to and mod- THEORIES eling the behaviors, cognitions (e.g., attitudes and be- liefs) and emotions of others. SLT sees an interactive Although there are a number of important and cred- process between cognitive, behavioral, and environ- ible conceptual orientations that can help in under- mental influences (Ward & Gryczynski, 2009). standing the causal and dynamic factors of UID, we select eight that cover the essential psychosocial ele- There are three principles that help define SLT. -
The Essence of Social Learning Theory
EDS 248 Human Development and Learning Social Cognitive Learning Theory EDS 248 Stephen E. Brock, Ph.D.,NCSP The Essence of Social Learning Theory Learning by observation (or vicarious acquisition) and modeling. Observation of behaviors and their outcomes is a mode of learning (vs. simply being shaped by the environment). Learning does not require behavior change or performance (learned tasks may be displayed now, later, or never). Reinforcement has an indirect effect on learning. Cognitive processes influence learning. Bandura’s Social Learning Theory Behaviorism Cognitivism Reinforcement Expectations Awareness Punishment Attention/ Memory Nurture Social Learning Nature External Theory Internal Environmental factors Person factors Behavior Reciprocal Causation Stephen E. Brock, Ph.D., NCSP 1 EDS 248 Human Development and Learning Behavioral Factors and Social Learning Theory People reinforce others who copy their behavior. Students are reinforced by teachers when they reproduce behaviors being taught. Imitated behavior leads to other people reinforcing copied behavior. Children are reinforced by parents when they reproduce what the teacher has taught Behavior is imitated subsequent to observations of its effect on others. Students will engage in behaviors that are observed to achieve desired outcomes. Students will not engage in behaviors that observed to achieve undesired outcomes. How the environment reinforces and punishes models Model as a discriminative stimulus (S+) (or antecedent) (S+ = model) R > SRF Modeled behavior (R) is reproduced/learned/conditioned because of reinforcement. Observer (student) is reinforced by the model (teacher) Imitated behavior (style of dress) leads to reinforcer (peer praise). People often reinforce others who copy what they themselves do. Problems with a strictly behavioral analysis of social learning theory 1. -
Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development Working As A
Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development Working as a developmental psychologist then turning his interest to the field of moral education, Lawrence Kohlberg became to be well known for his theory of moral development. His theory spurred the interest of the psychological community on moral development (Nucci, 2002). His ideas were influenced by Jean Piaget, John Dewey, and James Mark Baldwin. He argued that experiences shape children’s understandings of moral concepts such as justice, rights, equality, and human welfare. Kohlberg developed his theory from the research that he conducted at Harvard’s Center for Moral Education (Barger, 2000). To evaluate the moral stages, Kohlberg made a series of moral dilemmas that pit one moral value against another (Kalat, 2002). He observed the explanations, not the choices, that the subject made. The explanations were used to match the subject to one of Kohlberg’s stages. Kohlberg’s theory of levels and stages of moral reasoning is supported by findings from longitudinal and cross-cultural research. Kohlberg divided moral development into six distinguished stages which can be identified into three major levels. The first level is the level of pre-conventional morality. The first stage is defined by punishment and obedience. This stage is characterized by the elementary school level (Barger, 2000). People follow the rules of authority because they are afraid of punishment, which is related to Piaget’s identification of the stage of ego-centrism (Nucci, 2002). In this stage, people consider something to be bad if it is related with punishment. In contrast, if something brings rewards, it is considered as good. -
Methods, Models, and the Evolution of Moral Psychology
Methods, Models, and the Evolution of Moral Psychology Cailin O'Connor Abstract Why are we good? Why are we bad? Questions regarding the evolution of morality have spurred an astoundingly large interdisciplinary literature. Some significant subset of this body of work addresses questions regarding our moral psychology: how did humans evolve the psychological properties which underpin our systems of ethics and morality? Here I do three things. First, I discuss some methodological issues, and defend particularly effective methods for addressing many research questions in this area. Second, I give an in-depth example, describing how an explanation can be given for the evolution of guilt|one of the core moral emotions|using the methods advocated here. Last, I lay out which sorts of strategic scenarios generally are the ones that our moral psychology evolved to `solve', and thus which models are the most useful in further exploring this evolution. 1. Introduction Why are we good? Why are we bad? Questions regarding the evolution of morality have spurred an astoundingly large interdisciplinary literature with contributions from (at least) biology, sociology, anthropology, psychology, philosophy, and computer science. Some sig- nificant subset of this body of work addresses questions regarding our moral psychology: how did humans evolve the psychological properties which underpin our systems of ethics and morality? Debates in this literature are ongoing, and often heated. One reason for this is that there are a number of methodological problems researchers must tackle in addressing the evolution of moral psychology. Human psychology evolved in the deep past, over the course of millions of years, and as a result of countless interactions between individuals. -
Moral Psychology Fall 2016
PSYC GU4672: Moral Psychology Fall 2016 PSYC GU4672: Moral Psychology (seminar, 4 points). Fall 2016. Tuesdays, 10:10 AM – 12:00 PM. 405 Schermerhorn Instructor: Larisa Heiphetz ([email protected]) Office hours: By appointment The best way to reach me is via e-mail, and I typically reply to e-mails within 48 hours. I am happy to meet with you throughout the semester to discuss anything related to the course; please e-mail me to set up an appointment. I. Bulletin description II. A full description of the content of the course III. The rationale for giving the course IV. The reading list and weekly syllabus V. Course requirements I. Bulletin description Prerequisites: Two courses in psychology, including at least one course with a focus on social and/or developmental psychology, and permission of the instructor. Review of theories and current research on moral cognition and behavior. Topics include definitions of morality, the development of moral cognition, the role that other aspects of human experience (e.g., emotion, intentions) play in moral judgments, and the relationship between moral psychology and other areas of study (e.g., religious cognition, prejudice and stereotyping, the criminal justice system). II. A full description of the content of the course. How do children learn to distinguish right from wrong? Why do some people act more morally than others, and how is it that the same person can make moral decisions in some circumstances but not others? What does it mean to be “moral”? Questions like these have fascinated scholars and laypeople for centuries. In this seminar, we will discuss a) theories of moral cognition and b) empirical findings on morality in children and adults. -
Psychedelic Unselfing and Moral Perception
Psychedelic Unselfing and Moral Perception A Philosophical Account of the Change of Values Induced by Psychedelic Experiences Juuso Viljami Kähönen University of Helsinki Faculty of Social Sciences Philosophy Master’s Thesis April 2020 Abstract Scientific and scholarly attention to psychedelics has recently faced a resurgence. Recent studies suggest that psychedelic experiences can change values and behavioral dispositions, for example increase appreciation of nature and increase prosocial behavior. For this reason psychedelics have been identified as a promising option for moral neuroenhancement. However, we still struggle to understand these changes in the valuations psychedelics induce, or why exactly they are morally enhancing. In this thesis I construct a philosophical framework to understand these changes. I combine Iris Murdoch and Abraham Maslow’s thinking with empirical studies on psychedelics and experiences of self-transcendence. Psychedelics induce experiences of self-transcendence which involve evaluative changes. I argue that these changes are not random but result from an intelligible process. I first claim that psychedelics in some cases induce unselfing, that is, perspectival and evaluative changes resulting from reduction of salience attributed to oneself. By reducing egoic centering, unselfing opens our attention to the world and can cause perspectival widening from egocentric into more allocentric (other- directed) or cosmocentric (universal) perspective. The second main claim is that the process of unselfing is often connected to sharpened perception of values. The increased attention to the world and reduced egocentric attributions of salience, resulting from unselfing, can widen our evaluative context and make it possible to perceive or grasp intrinsic values better, thus ‘tuning the moral compass’ away from instrumental egocentric mode of evaluation. -
The Significance of Social Learning Theories in the Teaching of Social Studies Education
International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Research Vol. 2, No.1, pp.40-45, August 2016 Published by European Centre for research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org) THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SOCIAL LEARNING THEORIES IN THE TEACHING OF SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION Edinyang, Sunday David Ph.D Department of Social Science Education, Faculty of Education, University of Calabar, Calabar – Nigeria ABSTRACT: Social learning theories deal with the ability of learners to imbibe and display the behaviors exhibited within their environment. In the society, children are surrounded by many influential models, such as parents within the family, characters on mass/social media, friends within their peer group, religion, other members of the society, and the school. Children pay attention to some of these agents of socialization and imbibe the behaviours exhibited. At a later time they may imitate the behavior they have observed regardless of whether the behavior is appropriate or not, but there are a number of processes that make it more likely that a child will reproduce the behavior that its society deems appropriate for its sex and age. This paper discusses the implications of social learning theories on Social Studies education, and how Social Studies teachers can apply it towards achieving the goals and objectives of the discipline. KEY WORDS: Social learning theories and social studies education. INTRODUCTION Albert Bandura (1977) in McLeod (2011) stated that behaviour is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning. Social Learning Theory originated from Albert Bandura, who believed that behaviourism alone could not explain all there is about learning. -
What Makes an Emotion Moral?
What Makes an Emotion Moral? by Mara L. Bollard A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Philosophy) in the University of Michigan 2018 Doctoral Committee: Professor Daniel Jacobson, Chair Professor Sarah Buss Professor Peter A. Railton Associate Professor Chandra Sripada Mara L. Bollard [email protected] ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2416-948X © Mara L. Bollard 2018 Acknowledgements I could not have completed this dissertation without the support of many people, and I regret that I cannot properly express my gratitude to everyone who helped shape this project, and my time in graduate school, in these few short pages. First of all, tremendous thanks are due to my committee members: Daniel Jacobson, Sarah Buss, Peter Railton, and Chandra Sripada, all of whom played no small role in my decision to come to Michigan in the first place, and have continued to intellectually enthrall, challenge, and encourage me ever since. I am especially grateful to my advisor, Dan Jacobson, whose guidance, humor, and unflagging support got me, and this project, across the finish line. Special thanks, too, to Chandra Sripada, who has been a cheerful and constant advocate of my work, my teaching, and the Mind and Moral Psychology Working Group. The research and writing of this dissertation was supported by a Mellon Recruitment Award, a Rackham One-Term Dissertation Fellowship, a Sweetland Dissertation Writing Institute Fellowship, and numerous Rackham Conference Travel Grants. I am grateful for incisive and helpful feedback on these chapters from members of the University of Michigan Mind and Moral Psychology Working Group, the University of Michigan Graduate Student Working Group, the 2016 University of Michigan Candidacy Seminar, and the 2017 Sweetland Dissertation Writing Institute.