Conscience and Moral Development - Morality and Conscience in Adolescence

• Conscience: Inner voice that tells a person what is right and what is wrong.
• Morality: Following rules and values of family, group, and society; behaving in a socially accepted way.
• Identification: When a child has a close, loving bond with parents and wants to be like them.
• Delinquent behaviour: Behaviour that breaks rules and moral standards of family and society.

• Sears and Maccoby said that children develop a good conscience when mothers are warm and loving.
• These mothers also show displeasure and may withdraw love or attention when the child misbehaves.
• Because of this, the child learns that bad behaviour leads to loss of love and good behaviour keeps love, so conscience becomes strong.

• If the child does not have a warm and affectionate relationship with parents, strong identification does not develop.
• This blocks the development of conscience.
• It also stops the child from developing important motives, attitudes, and ideals needed for good adjustment in society and culture.
• If a boy does not identify with his father or other male elders, it may lead to effeminate behaviour and attitudes (as seen by that culture).
• If a child does not identify with the moral and ethical standards of the family, he may show delinquent behaviour.

• Morality means obeying the instructions of family members, the group, and society.
• In short, it is socially acceptable behaviour.
• Such behaviour is good not only for the person but also for the whole society.
• Conscience and morality have a strong positive relationship.
• When conscience develops, the child can clearly see the difference between:
• right and wrong,
• justice and injustice,
• honesty and dishonesty.

The growth of human values depends on the development of conscience and morality.

Some important values showing moral development are:

• Honesty,
• Truthfulness,
• Justice,
• Discipline,
• Respect for elders and rules of society,
• Reasoning ability and related qualities.

Immoral people usually have:

• Weak conscience,
• No respect for human values,
• No discipline,
• No respect for social customs, rules, regulations, and traditions.

• In the early years, the child learns morality mainly through imitation.
• The child copies the behaviour of parents and elders.
• As morality develops, the child starts to avoid activities that may give pleasure but go against social customs, norms, traditions, and values, as well as social restrictions.
• At this age, the child learns what he should do and what he should not do.
• Morality has a positive relationship with social and human values.

• Before the age of 12 years, children’s conscience and morality become very rigid.
• If the child thinks something is unjust, illegal, or immoral, he holds this view very strongly.
• Such attitudes rarely change in this period.

• Conscience is the inner sense of right and wrong, and morality means behaving in a socially accepted way.
• Children develop a strong conscience when they have a warm, loving bond with parents (Sears & Maccoby, 1957).
• A lack of affection and identification with parents can weaken the conscience and lead to poor values or delinquent behaviour.
• Morality begins through imitation—children copy elders and learn to avoid socially wrong actions.
• Before age 12, children’s moral views are rigid and hard to change if they believe something is wrong or unjust.