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Multidimensional profiles of head start preschoolers' moral self-concept predict subsequent, but not concurrent,

Jamie Gahtan1, Erin Ruth Baker1, Rong Huang2

  • 1Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA.

Development and Psychopathology
|May 22, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Preschoolers' moral self-concept (MSC) profiles predict future behavior, not current actions. One profile showed increasing aggression over time, while another decreased aggression, highlighting MSC

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Moral Psychology

Background:

  • The moral self-concept (MSC) influences how children perceive themselves as moral agents.
  • Existing research suggests a link between MSC and moral behavior, but its role in preschoolers remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between moral self-concept (MSC) profiles and moral behavior in low-income preschoolers.
  • To explore how MSC relates to concurrent and future prosocial and aggressive behaviors.

Main Methods:

  • A person-centered approach was used to identify MSC profiles in 106 low-income preschoolers.
  • Children completed a MSC puppet task; teachers reported on prosocial and aggressive behaviors over six months.

Main Results:

  • Two MSC profiles emerged: 'comforting prosocials' and 'helpful aggressors'.
  • MSC profiles did not predict concurrent behavior but showed significant differences in behavior six months later.
  • The 'comforting prosocials' group exhibited increased aggression over time, while 'helpful aggressors' showed decreased aggression.

Conclusions:

  • Preschoolers' moral self-concept (MSC) is a significant predictor of future moral behavior, rather than concurrent actions.
  • Understanding MSC profiles can offer insights into developmental trajectories of prosocial and aggressive behaviors.

Keywords:
Aggressionmoralityprosocial

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