Early Prosocial Motivation

How Do Human Beings Become Caring Beings? 

Although traditionally regarded as self-centered and egocentric, young children are extraordinarily sensitive to people’s feelings, they exhibit a primitive capacity for empathy, and they are attuned to people’s’ goals and how they are affected by the actions of others. Taken together, these developing advances in their understanding of people are motivational for young children, and a generation of new research has revealed their capacities for helping, sharing, and caring in response to the needs of others. This presentation describes this work and its implications for a new understanding of moral development.

Expert

Ross A. Thompson, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Immediate Past President of ZERO TO THREE, University of California, USA.