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Adult Reports of Parenting They Received Relates to Different Types of Moral Orientations Darcia Narvaez, Ashley Lawrence, Ying Cheng, Lijuan Wang
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Evolved Developmental Niche “The reliable and repeatable features of stimulation and experience occurring in an organism’s developmental context” “ontogenetic niche” (West and King,1987) the set of ecological & social circumstances typically inherited by members of a given species
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Evolved expected support provided Species-Typical Developmental System Smart, effective creature Species-Typical Outcome
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Stunted Susceptible to illness Early death
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Evolved expected support NOT provided Species-Atypical Developmental System Outside evolved range of intelligence & effectiveness Species Atypical Outcome
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HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO HUMANS? Exploring the human evolved development niche
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Note: Adapted from Montagu, 1968, with additional info from Dettwayler, 1997; Harvey & Clutton-Brock, 1985; Konner, 2010; Trevathan, 2011; World Health Organization
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Human babies are needy Developmentally born 9-18 months early 25% of adult brain volume at full-term birth (40-42 weeks) (80% by age 3) Human babies require “exterogestation” (Montagu, 1978) “Constructive interactionism” (Oyama, 2002)
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What is the human Evolved Developmental Niche? Inheritance, with slight variance, from social mammalian practices over 30 million years old Common among small- band hunter-gatherers (99% of human genus history) Hewlett & Lamb, 2005; Konner, 2010; Narvaez, Panksepp, Schore & Gleason, 2013
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TOUCH: Held or kept near others constantly RESPONSE: Prompt responses to fusses, cries and needs BREASTFEEDING: Nursed frequently (2-3 times/hr initially) for 2-5 years EXTENSIVE SOCIAL SUPPORT and ALLOPARENTS: Shared care by adults other than mothers PLAY: Enjoy free play in natural world with multiage playmates POSITIVE CLIMATE: Immersion in positive emotions SOOTHING PERINATAL EXPERIENCES Hewlett & Lamb, 2005; Ingold, 1999; Konner, 2010; Narvaez, Panksepp, Schore & Gleason, in press) Evolved Developmental Niche (30 million year old mammalian practices)
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Self-regulatory mechanisms affected by caregiving Brainstem function (heart rate, respiration, attention) Vagus nerve (affects all body systems and sociality) Stress response (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis) Anxiety (glucocorticoid receptors in hippocampus) Emotion systems (links between cortical executive functions and subcortical emotion systems) Immune system (number and ratio of immune cells) Neurotransmitters (number and function of serotonin, NMDA receptors)
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HOW IS EARLY EXPERIENCE RELATED TO MORAL FUNCTIONING? Does the Evolved Developmental Niche matter?
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Early Life Sets the Stage for Social and Moral Development Responsiveness matters! Mutually responsive orientation (Kochanska) and secure attachment (e.g., Kochanska, 2002; Weinfield et al., 2008) Empathy (Zahn-Waxler, Radke-Yarrow, Eisenberg) Self-regulation (Weinfield et al., 2008) Conscience (Kochanska) Openness (Greenspan & Shanker, 2004) Agency/self-efficacy/competence (Weinfield et al., 2008) How about the other evolved parenting practices?
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Family Life Project Lijuan Wang Jennifer Lefever Ying (Alison) Cheng Tracy Gleason THANKS TO Spencer Foundation University of Notre Dame – College of Arts and Letters – Office of Research – Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts – Department of Psychology Members of the Moral Psychology Lab
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Family Life Project a.Longitudinal observational & maternal questionnaires and interviews from 4 to 36 months (data from the Centers for the Prevention of Child Neglect; n=636) b.Maternal surveys of EDN behavior and attitudes in China (n=383) and USA (n=436) c.Maternal survey of nurturing parenting attitudes USA (n=166) a.Narvaez, Gleason, Wang, Brooks, Lefever, Cheng, & Centers for the Prevention of Child Neglect (2013) b.Narvaez, Wang, Gleason, Cheng, Lefever, & Deng (2013); c.Gleason et al. (under review)
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Parenting Practice & Child Outcomes EmpathyConscience Self- regulation CooperationIQ Depression (not) Aggression (not) Natural Childbirth Breastfeeding initiation Breastfeeding Length Touch Responsivity Play Social support/ Multiple caregivers
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Current Study Participants: 407 adults recruited through Amazon Turk took an online survey (Mage= 33.52; 56% male, 62% Euro-American). Dependent Variables were Triune Ethics Orientations: ENGAGEMENT: caring, compassionate, merciful, cooperative IMAGINATION: reflective, thoughtful, inventive, reasonable SAFETY: controlled, tough, unyielding, competitive BUNKER: combative tough vigilant belligerent WALLFLOWER: submissive yielding timid unassertive Please respond to your views of how you are in SOCIAL SITUATIONS (rate 5 questions about conscious explicit goals and unconscious, socially- perceived behavior)
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Predictor Variables Attachment (CRQ; Bartholomew & Horowitz): Secure, Preoccupied, Fearful, Dismissive Anxiety and Depression: 64-item Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS; Watson et al., 2007) Physical Health: Health history, self rating (single items); past month (3 items). All were added. Moral Personality (Interpersonal Reactivity Index, Davis, 1983): Empathy, Perspective Taking, Personal Distress Evolved Developmental Health-History: EDN-H is a measure for adults with 15 questions about childhood experience. We use family togetherness (2 items), affection, punishment, play (3 items); supportive childhood (3 items); positive home climate, negative home climate
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Evolved Developmental Niche- History FAMILY TOGETHERNESS (6 pt. scale) 1.How often did you do things together as a family outside the home (e.g., going to religious services, shows, community events, visiting parks, traveling)? 2.How often did you do things together as a family at home (e.g., eating together, doing chores together, playing)? AFFECTION: How often were you affectionately touched, kissed, or hugged by at least one of your parents or guardians? PUNISHMENT: Did you ever receive corporal punishment from a parent or guardian (e.g., hit, spanked, slapped, pinched)?
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PLAY 1.How much did you participate in activities directed by adults (e.g., organized sports, clubs, scouting, music/dance lessons, etc.)? 2.How much did you play freely with other children OUTSIDE (play organized by the children; not in organized activities)? 3.How much did you play freely with other children INSIDE (play organized by the children; not in organized activities)?
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Past Home Climate (PHC) IN YOUR FAMILY HOME WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD (age 0-18), please rate the emotion sets according to how frequently you felt them (6-pt) POSITIVE JOY (Excited, Happy, Jovial, or Lively) EXPANSIVE (Open, Playful, or Creative) SELF-ASSURED (Proud, Confident, or Fearless) SERENE (Calm, Relaxed, or at Ease) NEGATIVE GRIEF (Downhearted, Sad, or Lonely) HUMILIATION (Humiliated, Demeaned, or Shamed) GUILT (Ashamed, Guilty, or Blameworthy) FEAR (Dread, Tense, Nervous, or Scared) ANGER (Angry, Hostile, Irritable, or Scornful) NUMBNESS (Apathetic, Numb, Passive, or Shut Down)
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Analyses Correlations Regressions Mediation models
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EDN
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Health and interpersonal
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Summary of Correlations Early experience appears to influence predictors of moral functioning (secure attachment, empathic concern, perspective taking) and ethical orientation – greater EDN-consistent care was correlated with Engagement and Imagination – Generally but not always, less EDN-consistent care tended to be correlated with Safety, Bunker and Wallflower.
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Mental and physical health were correlated with ethical orientation—better mental health was correlated with Engagement and Imagination. Worse mental health was correlated with Safety, Bunker and Wallflower. Poor physical health was correlated only with Wallflower.
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Regressions A regression was conducted for each ethic (Engagement, Imagination, Safety, Bunker, Wallflower), testing four models. Model 1 included childhood experiences (EDN): play (inside, outside), family togetherness (at home, out), positive and negative climate Model 2 added attachment (secure, preoccupied, fearful, dismissive) Model 3 added physical and mental health. Model 4 added interpersonal personality (empathy, perspective taking, personal distress).
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Regression on Engagement
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Regression on Wallflower
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Summary of Regressions The fourth model in each regression explained the greatest amount of variance. – For Engagement: EDN home climate; interpersonal morality (empathy, perspective taking) were significant predictors – For Wallflower: EDN home climate (lack of positive); Fearful and Dismissive attachment; poor mental health (anxiety and depression); and interpersonal reactivity (personal distress)
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Mediation Models Predicting Engagement EDN Variable Empathic Concern Perspective Taking Engagement Orientation
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Direct and indirect effects are significant for Family Togetherness (at home and away) Play (inside and outside) Positive Home Climate Breastfeeding
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Discussion Adults’ self-reported early experience (EDN) was related to the predictors of moral functioning (attachment, interpersonal orientation), to mental health, and to ethical orientations in correlations and regressions. Initial mediation analyses indicate not only direct effects of EDN on Engagement but indirect effects (EDN mediated by empathic concern and perspective taking).
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Conclusion The epigenetic and developmental plasticity effects of early experience need to be closely examined for their specific influences on moral functioning.
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Epigenetics of Moral Development Neurobiology of Self and Relationships Experience early and during sensitive periods [caregiving, social support and climate] Personality Agreeableness (Kochanska) Empathic orientation (Tomkins) Cooperative self- regulation (Sroufe) Positive, prosocial emotions (Schore) Ethical Orientation Safety Engagement Imagination (Triune Ethics, Narvaez)
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SAFETY
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For more information Darcia Narvaez (dnarvaez@nd.edu)dnarvaez@nd.edu Webpage (download papers): http://www.nd.edu/~dnarvaez/ http://www.nd.edu/~dnarvaez/ My blog at Psychology Today: Moral Landscapes http://www.psychologytoday.com/blo g/moral-landscapes http://www.psychologytoday.com/blo g/moral-landscapes
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2014, W.W. Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology
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