An Event‐Related Potential Study of Adolescents' and Young Adults' Judgments of Moral and Social Conventional Violations. Issue 3 (25th October 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lahat, Ayelet; Helwig, Charles C.; Zelazo, Philip David
• Is Part Of: Child development. Volume 84:Issue 3(2013:May/Jun.)
• Page Start: 955
• Page End: 969
• Publication Date: 2012-10-25
• Subjects: Child development -- Periodicals; Child psychology -- Periodicals; Child Development -- Periodicals; Child Development; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pedicatrics; 305.231
• DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-3920

Abstract

Abstract : The neurocognitive development of moral and conventional judgments was examined. Event‐related potentials were recorded while 24 adolescents (13 years) and 30 young adults (20 years) read scenarios with 1 of 3 endings: moral violations, conventional violations, or neutral acts. Participants judged whether the act was acceptable or unacceptable when a rule was assumed or removed. Across age, reaction times were faster for moral than conventional violations when a rule was assumed. Adolescents had larger N2 amplitudes than adults for moral and neutral, but not conventional, acts. N2 amplitudes were larger when a rule was removed than assumed for moral, but not conventional, violations. These findings suggest that the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying moral and conventional judgments continue to develop beyond early adolescence.