The use of stories in moral development: New psychological reasons for an old education method.

Abstract

Contemporary approaches to moral development and moral education emphasize propositional thinking and verbal discussion of abstract moral dilemmas. In contrast, this article proposes that narratives (stories) are a central factor in a person's moral development. Support for this position comes from recent theoretical contributions of Bruner, Sarbin, Spence, Tulving, and others, who have emphasized narrative thought as a major form of cognition that is qualitatively different from abstract propositional or scientific thinking. In addition, over the last 10 to 20 years psychologists investigating and conceptualizing moral development have come to emphasize such processes as empathy (Hoffman), caring and commitment (Gilligan), interpersonal interaction (Haan), personal character and personality (Coles; Hogan; Staub; Rushton). It is proposed that narratives and narrative thinking are especially involved in how these processes lead to moral development and therefore that narrative should be rehabilitated as a valuable part of moral education.

Cites (4)

1. Feeling and thinking: Preferences need no inferences.
   Zajonc, R. B. · 1980 · American Psychologist
2. An Experimental Study of Apparent Behavior
   Heider, Fritz, Simmel, Marianne · 1944 · The American Journal of Psychology
3. The relation of empathy to prosocial and related behaviors
   Eisenberg, Nancy, Miller, Paul A. · 1987 · Psychological Bulletin
4. Helping a Distressed Person: Social, Personality, and Stimulus Determinants
   1974 · Advances in Experimental Social Psychology

Show all 4 references

Cited by (9)

1. The Raven's Progressive Matrices: Change and Stability over Culture and Time
   Raven, John · 2000 · Cognitive Psychology
2. The Function of Fiction is the Abstraction and Simulation of Social Experience
   Mar, Raymond A., Oatley, Keith · 2008 · Perspectives on Psychological Science
3. Voicing the self: From information processing to dialogical interchange.
   Hermans, Hubert J. M. · 1996 · Psychological Bulletin
4. Transportation into a story increases empathy, prosocial behavior, and perceptual bias toward fearful expressions
   Johnson, Dan R. · 2012 · Personality and Individual Differences
5. Morality
   Haidt, Jonathan, Kesebir, Selin · 2010 · Handbook of Social Psychology

See all 227