Within educational research, there is a growing interest in using neuroscience methods such as electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potentials (ERPs) to probe neural mechanisms underlying students' learning and development, in natural, school-based settings. The results of these studies are beginning to appear in educational,…

This case study shares the lessons learned from the data collection phase of my research project, specifically the use of online interviews with stimulus material. My research explores secondary school teachers' perceptions of and experiences with moral education in the United Kingdom and uses current government policies regarding the moral…

This chapter uses moral psychology to illustrate why exemplar methods are essential for building a valid, complete understanding of key domains of human development. Social psychological, economic, and biological-evolutionary paradigms for studying morality rely on samples drawn from the general population. This research reveals a bleak picture of…

The problem of psychological and pedagogical readiness of the future teachers for moral and spiritual development of high-school students should be considered in the context of holistic manifestation of all aspects of personality. In this regard, one of the most urgent tasks is to identify the professional and personal characteristics that…

The present article presents results obtained from a survey focusing on attitudes to solidarity among upper secondary school students. A relation between positive attitudes to solidarity and future-orientation was evident. The survey results were reinforced by a second study, exploring how students in the Swedish upper secondary school perceived…

In 2011 the "Journal of Moral Education" ("JME") celebrated its 40th anniversary of publication. It seemed appropriate to examine and reflect on the "JME's" achievements by reviewing its evolution and contribution to the emerging field of moral education and development. Moral education trends, as reflected in…

This article focuses on methodological issues arising in a study of character development, using illustrations of "sharing behaviours." Based primarily in six early years settings in southeast England the research records naturalistic observations of peer interactions for 55 children aged three to six years. Applying grounded theory to…

In order to unify two major theories of moral judgment, a novel task is employed which combines elements of Kohlberg's stage theory and of the theory of information integration. In contrast to the format of Kohlberg's moral judgment interview, a nonverbal and quantitative response which makes low demands on verbal facility was used. Moral…

Within each chapter of this innovative topical text, the authors engage students by demonstrating the wide range of real-world applications of psychological research connected to child development. In particular, the distinctive Active Learning features incorporated throughout the book foster a dynamic and personal learning process for students.…

Nineteen empirical sources are reviewed with the purpose of evaluating the potential of the relationship between level of moral development and appreciation of aggressive humor for future inquiry. Sixteen articles generated from the superiority theory of humor are categorized as measuring appreciation of aggressive humor (and drama) in relation to…

Piagetian moral judgment problems were simplified and tested on first grade children to ascertain whether the simplification would affect the subjects' perceptions of intentionality and punishment. (JMB)

Differences between Piaget's original studies of children's moral judgment and subsequent investigators' interpretations of those studies are discussed. (Author/JMB)

Since emotions play such an important role in moral education and moral activities, the author argues, it is important that emotions be studied in a scientifically legitimate manner. He concludes that commonsense categories and descriptions of emotion could legitimately be used in scientific inquiry. (MT)

This commentary on the psychology of moral development provides a critical analysis of some important theoretical trends and empirical advances marking past progress and also discusses some future prospects for the field. The primary concern is that contemporary moral psychology suffers from a conceptual skew that is evidenced by a theoretical and…

Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of stages of moral development and their demonstration are refuted. At the same time, the controversy over what constitutes a demonstration of a theory is considered. (JMF)