Exploring the prosocial effects of moral elevation in middle childhood and early adolescence

Abstract

A growing body of research has explored the impact of moral elevation - the emotional response to witnessing acts of moral virtue, or moral beauty, such as giving and kindness - on prosocial behaviour in adulthood, however much less is known about the experience and effects of moral elevation in a younger age group. This thesis examines the effect of moral elevation on prosociality in childhood and adolescence. Chapter 1 is a theoretical chapter that reviews the relevant literature on prosocial behaviour, the appraisal tendency framework (e.g., Lerner & Keltner, 2000) and moral emotions, specifically moral elevation. Chapter 1 also includes an overview of the empirical research that follows in Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5. In Chapter 2 and 3, we test the effects of moral elevation on general and intergroup prosociality. We find that moral elevation increases general prosocial motivation (Study 1, 5-11-year-olds, N=91; Study 3, 13-14-year-olds, N=150) and outgroup prosocial motivation and behaviour (Study 2, 5-11-year-olds, N=125). In Chapter 4, we explore the (dis)similarities of the experience of moral elevation and admiration (Study 4, 5-11-year-olds, N=213; Study 5, 9-11-year-olds, N=203). These studies show that cognitive appraisals, and subsequent motivations associated with moral elevation and admiration differ, and that differences may become more pronounced between mid to late childhood. In Chapter 5, we test the effects of a longitudinal intervention designed to increase engagement with moral beauty, in school-settings (Study 6, 9-11-year-olds, N=36; Study 7, 11-12-year-olds, N=150), and in a lab-based setting with undergraduate students (Study 8, 18-31-year-olds, N=38). We found that repeatedly reflecting on displays of moral beauty over an extended period of time, increased feelings of moral elevation in 11-12-year-olds and undergraduate students, but not children aged 9-11 years old. Chapter 6 provides an integrative discussion of the findings, theoretical and practical implications and avenues for future research.