Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification03:00

Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification

4.7K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
4.7K
Self-Serving Bias01:29

Self-Serving Bias

374
Self-serving bias is a cognitive phenomenon in which individuals attribute positive outcomes to internal factors such as their abilities, intelligence, or effort while attributing negative outcomes to external circumstances. This cognitive distortion helps maintain self-esteem but can also impede objective self-assessment.Theoretical Explanations of Self-Serving BiasTwo primary theories explain the self-serving bias: the cognitive explanation and the motivational explanation.The cognitive...
374
Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

17.9K
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.  
17.9K
Egoism and Altruism01:55

Egoism and Altruism

91.3K
Voluntary behavior with the intent to help other people is called prosocial behavior. Why do people help other people? Is personal benefit such as feeling good about oneself the only reason people help one another?
91.3K
Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model01:29

Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model

423
The Self-Evaluation Maintenance (SEM) model offers a psychological framework to understand how individuals’ self-esteem is influenced by the achievements of others, particularly those with whom they share close personal bonds. The SEM model operates when personal rather than social identity guides individuals. Central to this model is the notion that individuals have an inherent desire to preserve a favorable self-image, which is continuously shaped by interpersonal comparisons and...
423
Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other01:20

Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other

463
According to George Herbert Mead, as children progress beyond the game stage, they develop a more comprehensive understanding of societal rules and norms. This cognitive and social development enables them to internalize the expectations of the broader community, refining their ability to regulate behavior.Consistent participation in organized activities is crucial in helping children recognize that their actions are not isolated but contribute to a more significant, interconnected group...
463

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The nature of professional and relational self-aspects at the goal and narrative levels of personality.

The British journal of social psychology·2014
Same author

Moral identity as moral ideal self: links to adolescent outcomes.

Developmental psychology·2013
Same author

Liberals and conservatives rely on common moral foundations when making moral judgments about influential people.

Journal of personality and social psychology·2013
Same author

What do we know when we know a person across contexts? Examining self-concept differentiation at the three levels of personality.

Journal of personality·2012
Same author

Hierarchical integration of agency and communion: a study of influential moral figures.

Journal of personality·2012
Same author

The integration of agency and communion in moral personality: Evidence of enlightened self-interest.

Journal of personality and social psychology·2011
Same journal

Editorial - « Directions 2022 ».

New directions for child and adolescent development·2022
Same journal

Prospective associations between mothers' and fathers' parenting styles and adolescents' moral values: Stability and specificity by parent style and adolescent gender.

New directions for child and adolescent development·2022
Same journal

Association of environmental exposure to perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate with overweight/obesity and central obesity among children and adolescents in the United States of America using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2016.

New directions for child and adolescent development·2022
Same journal

Risk behaviors as correlates of victimization of U.S.-born and foreign-born Asian, Black, and Latinx adolescents in the United States.

New directions for child and adolescent development·2022
Same journal

Developmental behavioral genetics research on school achievement is missing vulnerable children, to our detriment.

New directions for child and adolescent development·2022
Same journal

School refusal and anxiety among children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review.

New directions for child and adolescent development·2022
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 4, 2026

A Modified Mirror Test as a Visual Guide for the Self-awareness Trait in Wild Antarctica Penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae
04:51

A Modified Mirror Test as a Visual Guide for the Self-awareness Trait in Wild Antarctica Penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae

Published on: July 8, 2025

942

Exemplars' moral behavior is self-regarding.

Lawrence J Walker

    New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development
    |December 17, 2013
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Moral behavior is motivated by self-interest and communal values. Integrating self-enhancement with other-regarding actions provides a powerful impetus for ethical conduct and living rightly.

    More Related Videos

    Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
    07:01

    Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

    Published on: March 1, 2019

    7.5K
    Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
    12:09

    Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

    Published on: March 19, 2014

    26.8K

    Related Experiment Videos

    Last Updated: May 4, 2026

    A Modified Mirror Test as a Visual Guide for the Self-awareness Trait in Wild Antarctica Penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae
    04:51

    A Modified Mirror Test as a Visual Guide for the Self-awareness Trait in Wild Antarctica Penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae

    Published on: July 8, 2025

    942
    Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
    07:01

    Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

    Published on: March 1, 2019

    7.5K
    Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
    12:09

    Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

    Published on: March 19, 2014

    26.8K

    Area of Science:

    • Psychology
    • Moral Philosophy
    • Behavioral Science

    Background:

    • Moral motivation is traditionally viewed as other-regarding.
    • The source and nature of motivation for ethical behavior require deeper exploration.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the role of self-regarding aspects in moral motivation.
    • To examine how self-enhancement can drive moral action.

    Main Methods:

    • Review of empirical research on the psychological functioning of moral exemplars.
    • Analysis of the integration of agentic and communal motivations.

    Main Results:

    • Moral action can be both other-regarding and self-regarding.
    • Moral exemplars synergistically integrate self-promoting (agentic) motivation with other-promoting (communal) values.
    • Self-enhancement within moral endeavors provides significant motivational impetus.

    Conclusions:

    • A self-regarding component is a legitimate and powerful motivator for moral behavior.
    • The integration of self and other-regarding motivations is key to ethical action and a rightly lived life.