In defence of situational morality: genetic, dispositional and situational determinants of children’s donating to charity

Abstract

In this paper we argue that moral behaviour is largely situation-specific. Genetic make-up, neurobiological factors, attachment security and rearing experiences have only limited influence on individual differences in moral performance. Moral behaviour does not develop in a linear and cumulative fashion and individual morality is not stable across time and situations. To illustrate our position we present two studies on children's willingness to donate their money to a charity (UNICEF) as a prime example of pro-social behaviour. In two samples of seven-year-old children we found no evidence for a role of attachment, temperament or parenting. Using a twin design we did not find any evidence for a genetic component either. The most striking finding in both studies was that very few children were inclined to donate any money after viewing a promotional UNICEF film about children suffering from poverty. Only after gentle probing by an experimenter were most children willing to donate some of their money. The situation appeared to be a much more powerful determinant of donating behaviour than any other factor. These findings are discussed in the broader context of evidence for situational canalisation of moral behaviour. We conclude that moral competence may be a universal human characteristic, but that it takes a situation with specific demand-characteristics to translate this competence into actual prosocial performance.

Prosocial Tendencies among Chinese American Children in Immigrant Families: Links to Cultural and Socio‐demographic Factors and Psychological Adjustment

“…Interestingly, there were no associations between dispositional sympathy and children's tendency to donate a prize to children from impoverished families. This result is generally consistent with the hypothesis that there is likely to be a stronger link between sympathy and prosocial behavior when both constructs are measured in the same context (Holmgren et al, ; van IJzendoorn, Bakermans‐Kranenburg, Pannebakker, & Out, ). In this study, immediately after the slideshow, children were asked open‐ended questions to describe their feelings and thoughts about the slideshow.…”

Observed and parent‐reported conscience in childhood: Relations with bullying involvement in early primary school

“…Thus, both internalized conduct and behavioral inhibition are behavioral components stopping an individual to harm or bully others; these capacities are apparently well‐developed in some preschool‐aged children but less in others. The weight of these capacities seems to depend on the situation: the differential findings for the two separate cheating games suggest that children's behavioral responses to moral dilemmas are situational, which is in line with previous work (van IJzendoorn, Bakermans‐Kranenburg, Pannebakker, & Out, ). Only the frog game clearly elicited behavior in children that was associated with later bullying perpetration.…”

The multifaceted nature of prosocial behavior in children: Links with attachment theory and research

“…We also note the possibility that attachment might not influence children's sharing. van IJzendoorn, Bakermans‐Kranenburg, Pannebakker, and Out () argue that context is the most powerful determinant of children's sharing, with attachment, parenting, temperament, and genetics having limited influence. They conclude that ability to be prosocial does not always translate into prosocial behavior , which depends on context.…”