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Morality and moral intelligence are important in our society and schools. Moral intelligence is discussed in the context of Gardener's theory of multiple intelligences. Moral intelligence helps apply ethical principles to personal goals, values and actions. It consists of four competencies related to integrity, three to responsibility, two to forgiveness, and one to compassion. Developing greater moral intelligence will result in individuals, schools and other social systems that are more healthy and positive. Several conceptions of moral intelligence are considered along with ideas how education might look if it was to value and include morality more prominently.

Society is in turmoil that can be termed a moral crisis the result of dogmatic materialistic worldviews. A more holistic framework for moral development based on the tripartite theory that considers cognitive, affective and conative domains and capacities is presented along with some guiding principles as an answer to the needs of the modern world. The psychomotor domain is also considered in its role as a vehicle for manifesting moral behavior that can be also be used as part of a model for more holistic development.

The field of psychology has offered many theories to explain the phenomenon of ethnopolitical conflict. Some psychologists have taken aspects of these theories from the research laboratory and have begun to develop and implement strategies for clinical application. In this regard, this paper suggests three distinctive roles for clinical psychologists, at three stages of ethnopolitical conflict, providing a continuity of care model that employs an adaptation of Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy's Contextual Family Therapy approach as an overarching model for ethical intervention. The applicability of the contextual approach lies in its focus on addressing each stage of conflict through constructive dialogue and due consideration. Under the umbrella of this approach the author suggests that clinical psychologists, through careful coordination of their roles as policy liaison specialists, community consultants, and direct service providers, can take an active role as members of multidisciplinary teams in making a valuable contribution in the pursuit of peace and the prevention and mediation of ethnopolitical conflict. (Contains 2 figures and 83 references.) (Author/JDM)

Key to the mission of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is answering fundamental questions about how a single fertilized cell eventually develops into a fully functional adult human being and how a multitude of genetic and environmental factors influence that process. This document details part of NICHD's strategic plan for achieving its mission, focusing on goals and objectives to guide NICHD research on biobehavioral development over the next 5 years. The document first describes NICHD's mission and outlines the strategic planning process. The introduction then presents basic concepts underlying the NICHD biobehavioral strategic plan. The first section of the document discusses 2 scientific goals of the strategic plan. The first concerns biobehavioral bases of developmental continuities and discontinuities from birth through parenthood, and includes biobehavioral influences of social behavior and socialization, influence of sex/gender throughout development, fetal behavior, understanding and facilitating learning in typically developing populations, and adolescence. The second concerns the development of individuals with disabilities and chronic diseases, including therapeutic interventions for developmental disabilities and related conditions, developmental neurobiology underlying the emergence of prosocial versus violent and aggressive social behaviors, and biobehavioral effects of the interaction between the individual, technology, and multimedia sensory experiences throughout development. The second section of the document examines research technologies and resources deemed relevant, including data collection and analysis related to neural networks and dynamic systems for analysis of development, animal models, functional neuroimaging, and brain tissue banks. The document concludes by identifying the need for predoctoral and postdoctoral training programs that integrate experiences across the many disciplines relevant to biobehavioral research and the need to create new opportunities for effective and productive multidisciplinary research endeavors. Appended is the roster of members of the strategic plan working group providing advice on the development of this document. (KB)

Emotional intelligence (EI) can be a diagnostic tool and a set of guiding principals to address the learning organization's concern of overcoming the barriers to collective learning. EI can be defined as "how well you handle yourself." It refers to "emotional literacy" and a person's capacity to manage emotions and use them as a resource. This is done by knowing one's emotions; managing emotions; motivating oneself; recognizing emotions in others; and handling relationships. The learning organization has emotional underpinnings in that it directly addresses the barriers to such things as collective learning and shared visions. EI has the potential to be a diagnostic tool to assess the 'emotional climate' of the broader organization and the development of specific persons within the organization. There is debate as to whether EI can be measured. Issues with the use of EI as a diagnostic tool include the tendency to take the individual as the unit of analysis, thus ignoring social factors and collective dynamics. EI addresses real workplace issues, it has the potential to guide the management of workplace relationships, remove barriers to collaboration, and manage workplace diversity. (Contains 10 references.) (SLR)

Available empirical evidence indicates that the deterioration of stable marriages and families has been a principal generator of moral decline. Children learn moral values mainly within their families, and mainly by relying on their parents as role models. Family conditions for modeling values, together with recent family trends that have impacted the process, have led to declining family time. Two fundamental social changes are necessary to remedy the situation: revitalizing the institution of marriage, and reorganizing work lives. (Author/EV)

The Carnegie Corporation's mission is to continue Andrew Carnegie's philanthropic preoccupations with promoting education and world peace. In this essay, retiring Carnegie Corporation President David A. Hamburg provides a detailed accounting of his stewardship of the foundation since 1983, when he set forth new program directions in the context of drastic changes in the American family and society and, more broadly, the Cold War and the worldwide transformation in science and technology. The essay outlines an agenda for national and international attention in the future, focusing on the need for communities of the world to reconcile their differences and cooperate in creating systems for the prevention of mass violence. Also described is Corporation support for research and projects to clarify the positive conditions for ensuring healthy child and adolescent development, to make this knowledge widely understood throughout the country, and to strengthen the capacity of key institutions, beginning with the family and schools, to meet the developmental and educational needs of children from the prenatal period to age fifteen. Through grant programs to improve the education and healthy development of children and youth, improve superpower relations, strengthen human resources in developing countries, and promote democratic processes throughout the world, the foundation seeks to prevent the effects of disadvantaged environments. Changes due to technological advance and global economic integration raise educational questions, in which people must learn to adjust their knowledge and skills to new circumstances and learn to prepare for change itself. (JPB)

This paper discusses social and emotional development during childhood and adolescence in the United States, focusing on factors that affect children's prosocial behavior and the role of parents in promoting such behavior. It is argued that changing family structures, including the growth of single parent families and "latch-key" children, along with increasing youth violence and antisocial electronic media, all contribute to the development of antisocial behavior in children. Parents can promote prosocial behavior in early childhood by modeling prosocial behavior, reinforcing prosocial behavior, and providing direct behavioral instruction. During middle childhood, peer rejection, neglect, and loneliness can contribute to antisocial behavior. During adolescence, peer pressure, conformity, social acceptance, and rejection all contribute to social and emotional development. Parents need to maintain a proper perspective, accept outrageous but harmless behavior, and intervene in the case of potentially harmful or dangerous behavior. Overall, parents and other influential adults should focus their energies on understanding children's development, developing prevention strategies during the early childhood years, reinforcing those strategies during middle childhood and adolescence, and being persistent and consistent within the family, school, and community. (Contains 14 references.) (MDM)

Peace, though pursued, is often presented in the literature as an elusive and somewhat ethereal state that seldom is attained. However, African American communities in this country have historically developed and maintained effective, collaborative, working alliances that have assisted in individual and group survival under the most adverse circumstances. In spite of the existence of extensive within-group diversity contained in close proximity due to segregation (e.g., physical characteristics, racial/ethnic identity, level of education, value orientations, locus of control, degree of acceptance by the mainstream population, etc.), Blacks in this country have maintained states of interdependence and collaboration in the face of external and internal adversity over time. Through adherence to specific principles, functional African American communities have been able to do that which seems to elude mainstream America in its attempts to "attend to diversity" peacefully. The primary purpose of this paper is to present and discuss some underlying principles guiding the culture of these communities. It is these principles that maintain group cohesiveness in spite of stressors related to inter-group and intra-group dynamics. (Contains 43 references.) (Author/SLD)

These essays attempt to chronicle the work of six authors in peace education as they reflect on the processes and important persons leading them to commit to peace education. They also examine those obstacles, successes and failures encountered trying to make these commitments concrete and substantial. The essays in this volume include: (1) "Paper Shoes and Leather Souls" (Tena Montague, Canada); (2) "Remembering the Future: Journey towards Wholeness" (David Hicks, United Kingdom); (3) "The Bamboo Sways but Never Breaks: A Personal Journey in Peace Education" (Virginia Floresca-Cawagas, The Philippines); (4) "Peace Education in Context: Personal Reflections" (Robin Burns, Australia); (5) "Transcending Boundaries: The Yin and Yang of Educating for Peace" (Toh Swee-Hin, Canada); and (6) "Reflections from the Margins" (Robert Zuber, United States). (EH)

Although many people have studied social intelligence and theorized about it over the past 60 years, no one has been able to provide a clear picture of its nature. Traditional methods have overemphasized the social-cognitive outcomes of human functioning instead of social-behavioral outcomes. Two approaches used to study social intelligence can be categorized as implicit and explicit theories. Implicit theories include four major ideas: being a prosocial person (sensitive to the feelings of others), having well developed instrumental skills (communication and leadership), enjoying social activity, and having a good self-concept. Explicit theories focus on two sets of interrelated abilities: self-assertiveness, which is the ability to maintain and promote the well-being of the self in social situations, and integrative, which is the ability to maintain and promote the well-being of other people or the social groups of which one is a part. In order to understand why some people are more socially intelligent than others it is important to look at contributing processes. The single most important process is social planning ability. Other processes that appear to be important are an indivdual's perception of control, competence, empathy, and goal-directedness, and degree of interest in social kinds of accomplishments. An empirically coherent domain of social abilities can be identified if one stops trying to conceptualize social intelligence as purely a cognitive phenomenon, and views it instead in terms of effective social behavior that results from the interaction of a variety of psychological and sociocultural processes. (LLL)

A developmental model for an empathy-based prosocial motive is presented. The framework of the model is presented in terms of three components of empathy. The first component, empathic affective arousal, is discussed and six involuntary psychological mechanisms which underlie it are described briefly. These mechanisms, in the order in which they appear developmentally, include: reactive newborn cry, conditioning, association, mimicry, symbolic association, and role-taking. The cognitive-transformational component of empathy is discussed next and four levels of empathic response are described that result from the coalescence of empathic affect and the cognitive sense of the other. These levels are: (1) global empathic distress, (2) empathic distress which is experienced with the awareness that another person and not the self is the victim, (3) empathic distress which is experienced with the awareness that other people's feelings are based on their own reaction to events and are independent of self feelings, and (4) empathically aroused affect which can be aroused by the plight of an entire group or class of people. The third component of empathy discussed is the motivational component. Altruistic or prosocial motivation refers to the behavioral disposition of a person experiencing empathic distress to do something to relieve the victim's distress. Socialization experiences which will increase a child's empathic abilities are discussed and relevant research is summarized. The question of whether a motive to help others is a part of human nature is discussed. (JMB)

This paper discusses factors that affect parent-child relationships when children become adolescents. Several factors are seen to be related to the development of reciprocity in parenting behaviors between adolescents and their parents. Factors related to the development of reciprocity are (1) teenagers' physical and intellectual development and their capacity for prosocial behavior; (2) the overlap of child and adult roles expected of teenagers; (3) the adolescent identity crisis; and (4) parents' needs. Examples are given to illustrate the operation of these factors in practical situations. Also discussed are situations which create conflict and stress for parents and teenagers; the teenagers' desire for independence and the parents' reaction to this desire; and changes in the life styles of parents. In conclusion, an argument is made that adolescents have an inalienable right to be involved in deciding how they are to be reared. (Author/RH)

When assessing the influence of empathy on prosocial motivation, analyzing empathy alone would lead to a misunderstanding. We must also assess other elements of the situation, such as the altruist's coping skills and situational constraints. In a similar manner empathy itself should be conceptualized as a process with many elements. One way to conceptualize these elements is to categorize them as to whether they are likely to develop in a cumulative, mechanistic, experience-dependent manner (content components of empathy) or to develop in a structural, organismic, process-dependent manner (structure components of empathy). Measures of content components show empathy developing at an early age; measures of structure components indicate continued development in childhood. Discrepant findings concerning the role of empathy in prosocial behavior may be resolved by considering the differential development of these components and by assuming that a minimal level of each is necessary for empathy to mediate prosocial behavior. For example, low or nonsignificant correlations between empathy and altruism have been found for children less than 7 years old. From 7 to 8 years and on, around the time Selman's stage II level of perspective-taking is achieved, significant correlations between empathy and altruism emerge. (Author/SS)

Discussion focuses on ways in which Dodge's (1986) five-step model of social information processing, which has previously been used in organizing knowledge about the cognitive mediators of aggression among children, can be used to enhance the understanding of prosocial behavior. The model describes cognitive steps thought necessary to children's appropriate and competent action in social situations, namely: (1) encoding social cues, (2) interpreting behavior, (3) generating alternative responses, (4) choosing a response after evaluating potential consequences of alternatives, and (5) performing the chosen response. This paper reviews Dodge's general model of the role of cognition in social behavior; illustrates the usefulness of the model in a summary discussion of the extent to which the model has advanced understanding of aggressive behavior; and points out ways in which the model might be applied to the study of prosocial behavior. Supplementing the discussion is a summary of research findings on ways in which kindergarten and eighth-grade children view the relationship between altruistic behavior and the altruistic person's affective state. Suggestions indicate how such findings can be assimilated to Dodge's model. It is argued that, while much of what is presently known about cognitive factors in prosocial behavior can be assimilated to Dodge's model, large gaps exist in the knowledge of such processing; Dodge's model is useful in generating hypotheses to fill those gaps. (RH)

Discipline means teaching children socialization rules, so that they eventually learn self-control. Discipline must be used in the context of a warm, caring relationship, with the realization that it takes time for young children to absorb and understand what is being taught. In addition, appropriate discipline depends on an understanding of developmental stages which allows one to decide which situations require discipline. Many potential disciplinary problems can be prevented by carefully planning the child's environment, being clear and consistent about rules, noticing children's needs and differences, keeping promises, and refocusing children who are engaged in inappropriate behavior. When behavior becomes a problem, there are a number of techniques which can be used with infants and toddlers: (1) change the environment; (2) offer choices; (3) use the "hold and talk" technique for tantrums; (4) remind about rules; (5) model good behavior; (6) offer alternative means for expressing aggressive behavior; (7) appreciate and encourage socialized behaviors, even if they are only beginnings; (8) firmly share concerns about hurting others; (9) help children see connections between what they do and how it affects other children; (10) help children to see the connection between their misbehavior and deprivation of their play situation when time-out is used; (11) give children words to express strong emotions; and (12) show affection and try to see humor in the situation. Forty references are provided. (PCB)

Teachers who are specialists in motoric skill-building need to think about ways in which they can help the whole child develop. This paper discusses: (1) fine and gross motor development in infancy; (2) baby cuddling for optimal motoric development; (3) cross-cultural studies and infant body holding; (4) floor freedom for babies; (5) body language of caregivers in child care; (6) early rhythmicity and teacher interactions; (7) body sensuality and motoric relaxation; (8) aggression; (9) tense days in preschools; and (10) group games as a method for promoting prosocial development. It is concluded that caregivers who use their bodies to promote security, and who plan carefully for movement activities with cognitive and prosocial goals, will have children who thrive in a truly developmental setting. (RH)

Claims that contemporary moral development theory follows pathways laid down by Kant. Defines formalists and altruists, claiming that both interpret the moral domain too narrowly. Proposes a character-based redefinition that reintegrates moral development with the development of the self (Eudaimonism, or "human flourishing") and of values. (MOK)

Claims that even if objections to eudaimonism are completely correct, critics still have not explained how anyone might develop a eudaimonistic moral conception. Concludes that moral personality is a legitimate object of study and discusses the challenges posed by taking moral personality seriously. (MOK)

Discusses the limitations of Campbell and Christopher's literature on moral development and altruism, claiming that the authors based some of their conclusions on questionable definitions, incorrect assumptions about others' assertions and beliefs, and reference to a limited portion of prosocial behavior. Suggests that Kantian presuppositions play only a minor role in theory and research in prosocial development. (MOK)

Discusses the advantages of using developmentally appropriate guidance as a method of classroom management. Contrasts this method with traditional classroom discipline and clarifies the distinction between misbehavior and mistaken behavior. Analyzes the three levels of mistaken behavior and suggests that adults who approach children as individuals who make mistakes can assist them with healthy personal and social development. (AA)

Presents Life Space Interview (LSI), intervention strategy for use during crisis work with troubled students. Focuses on New Tools Salesmanship, special category of LSI in which interviewer helps student see failed connection between student's intention and behavior. Presents New Tools Salesmanship interview with fourth-grade student who "loses it" over request to follow directions. Includes instructional comments on LSI techniques. (NB)

Asserts that moral or behavioral deviants are unlikely to change their attitudes or behavior through traditional moral development or values education programs. Reviews literature on rehabilitation efforts and presents a three-phase model of moral development that reflects developmental stages in a person's life. (CFR)

Maintains that teachers can convert social studies to "prosocial" studies by emphasizing the role of caring and empathy as a response to social problems. Briefly addresses integrating the concept of caring into discussions concerning personal relationships and community issues. Advocates modeling behavior and cooperative learning. (MJP)

This article follows the activities of Nicholas Murray Butler's involvement in the peace movement at the turn of the century. Butler, a college administrator, statesman, Republican politician, and friend of big business, belonged to the peace-through-internationalism approach and believed in working within the domestic system. (JMK)

Discusses how children learn to share, gives three examples of children's sharing behavior, and raises issues concerning the teaching of sharing skills. (RH)

This paper reviews research findings that are related to fostering prosocial behavior in the early childhood and elementary classroom. A collection of "experimental best bets" for increasing prosocial behavior in young children is outlined. This collection covers the role of reinforcement and modeling or imitation, the importance of group norms, use of role playing experiences, peer teaching, cooperative group activities, and the influence of child-rearing and discipline techniques. In addition, a short review of the history of research on prosocial behavior is given. Research has demonstrated that the frequency of prosocial behavior is situationally determined and is not a consistent trait of individuals. Also, prosocial behavior is only moderately related to moral behavior, empathy and cooperation. However, the child who is frequently prosocial is seldom likely to be aggressive. The relations between prosocial behavior and sex differences, age differences, birth order and family size are also mentioned. Factors which have been found to increase the incidence of prosocial behavior in children are positive reinforcement, nurturant models, moralizing or preaching by powerful figures, role-playing experience, assignment of responsibility for the welfare of others, cooperative group activities, and use of induction disciplinary techniques. (Author/SS)

One of the important factors contributing to the current interest in the development of social competence in preschool children is the acceptance of such competencies as appropriate outcomes in the evaluation of preschool intervention programs. Measurement of social competence is still in an early stage of development. One problem is that behavioral descriptions are not easily applied to measurement of social competence. Another problem is that certain behaviors, such as pro-social behaviors, occur so rarely in the natural spontaneous events of the nursery school that measurement is almost impossible. Until recently there has been little research on basic cognitive processes involved in the development of social behavior in very young children. Lack of attention to young children was due to evidence which seemed to indicate that very little social development was possible until after the shift to cognitive operations which occurs when children are between 5 and 7 years of age. Recent work, however, suggests that major shifts in social competence do take place in the 3-5 year age period, and that this is a particularly fruitful time to focus new measurement approaches. (Author/SS)

The ethical codes for experimentation adopted by most professional organizations include references to the requirement that subjects be given at least minimal information about their involvement in research, but are generally silent on the necessity of ascertaining whether or not subjects sufficiently comprehend the information given. For moral, legal, and pragmatic reasons the issue of comprehension is particularly important when the potential subjects are children. A survey of ethical codes reveals that most of them sidestep the issue by relying on parental consent alone. When in some instances they attempt to cope with the problem, the usual solution to determining whether or not children are able to understand enough to consent is to designate the common law "age of discretion" of seven years as the standard. This paper proposes an alternative standard, the child's cognitive competence. It specifies the cognitive abilities of children necessary to comprehend the information which codes require researchers to give subjects. Using a Piagetian schema, the paper analyzes the nature of these cognitive abilities and how they develop. Minimal procedures for insuring that informed consent has been obtained from children are outlined. (Author/RH)

This issue of the "Journal of Children and Youth" focuses upon caring and related issues. Learning to care is an educational process which includes dialogue periods, creativity techniques, and action projects. When the subject of caring is taught in the educational curriculum on a consistent basis, students have the chance to learn, develop, and practice the capacity for ethical concern, altruism, cooperation, and more. Students, educators, and parents have verified that lessons which focus on caring have improved individual mental health, family living, and friendships, and have provided opportunities to contribute to humane involvement in societal issues such as peace, prejudice, and poverty. (Author/MP)

Parents and teachers can help children learn qualities (such as empathy, caring, kindness, and generosity) that contribute to a more peaceful environment. Children can be helped to learn the values and techniques of resolving conflicts without injuring others. We should be concerned about teaching peacemaking in order to prevent crime, drug addiction, and mental illness. Many factors encourage the development of a peaceful and caring person, including having one's basic human needs met, having a feeling of self-worth and self-respect, and understanding the need for cooperation and sharing of power and materials. Children learn to care about others and to curb their selfish impulses by modeling their behavior on that of parents, teachers, and others. While Piaget stated that children are too egocentric to empathize with another person and to act altruistically before the 5 to 7 year old stage, recent research has found that even toddlers are sometimes altruisic. Parents who convey with intensity that a child must not hurt others, explain why, and indicate the consequences of hurtful behavior have children who, from a very early age, give help to others who are distressed. There are many other ways that parents can encourage children to be peacemakers. By working for peace in a conscious way, each of us can contribute to the quality of life in our society. (CB)

This paper reports on recommendations for improving and/or changing educational practice in order to prevent or reduce deviant behavior among juveniles. The recommendations are derived from a three-year national quantitative and qualitative evaluation of law-related education programs undertaken by the Social Science Education Consortium, Inc. and the Center for Action Research (Boulder, Colorado). Following a discussion about the positive relationship of law-related education and the prevention of juvenile delinquency, the paper focuses on six critical features that have been shown to produce positive improvements in behavior when incorporated into law-related education programs: (1) use of outside resource persons in the classroom, (2) use of teaching strategies that foster true interaction and joint work among students, (3) judicious selection and balance of illustrative cases, (4) provision of sufficient quantity and quality of instruction, (5) involvement of building administrators, and (6) availability and use by teachers of professional peer support. Specific suggestions for implementing these features are outlined under each of the above subheadings. The paper concludes that although good teaching practices by themselves can go far in achieving delinquency prevention objectives, law-related education as a subject has significant and favorable effects over and above the consequences of superior instruction. (LH)

The focus of citizen education has traditionally been on the institution of government. Instead, citizenship education should emphasize the teaching of democratic behavior and values and the practice of prosociality. Prosocial behavior is defined as actions that are intended to aid another person without the actor's anticipation of external reward. (CS)

Presents two American Montessori Society position papers. "Multi-Age Grouping" offers an analysis of eight specific methods and strategies of multiage practice that serve as a useful guide for implementation. "Peace Education" explains the need for, the requirements for, and the benefits of peace education as part of a school's curriculum. (TJQ)