Internalization - at What Age Are We Able To Internalize?

At What Age Are We Able To Internalize?

Study

In one child developmental study, researchers examined two key dimensions of early conscience – internalization of rules of conduct and empathic affects to others – as factors that may predict future pro social, adaptive and competent behavior. The researchers hypothesized that a young child will come to see his or her own moral self from a cumulative result of memories of his or her own experiences of compliance with parental rules and empathy of others. Consequently, the children who view themselves positively in this regard may serve as an inner moral compass for future pro-social. Thus, the child’s moral self mediates the link between the history of early conscience or internalization and future adaptive, competent and pro-social behavior.

Method

Data was collected from a longitudinal study of children, from two parent families, at age 25, 38, 52, 67 and 80 months. Children’s internalization of each parent’s rules and empathy toward each parent’s simulated distress were observed at 25, 38 and 52 months. For example, to test the child’s internalization of their mothers’ and fathers’ rules the child was shown a low shelf of attractive toys and prohibited from playing with them. The child was then left alone for 8 minutes and through a two way mirror was observed as either 1) looking at the toys, 2) sorting, gently touching, self-correcting, and/or 3) deviating (playing with the toys). To show empathic concern to mothers’ and fathers’ distress the parents were given a script and pretended that the child had hit his or her finger while the child played with a pounding block toy. The parent then simulated distress or pain. The child’s expression was then coded as 1= not salient to 3= very salient. Their moral self was measured in a puppet interview at 67 months, for example, one puppet said, “When I break something, I tell someone right away” while the other puppet responded, “When I break something, I try to hide it so no one finds out.” The child was then asked, “What about you?” Parents and teachers rated their adaptive, competent, pro-social behavior and anti-social behavior at 80 months.

Results

The researchers found that first, both the history of his or her the child’s early internalization of parental rules and the history of his or her empathy predicted the children’s competent and adaptive functioning at 80 months, as rated by parents and teachers. Second, children with stronger histories of internalization of parental rules from 25 to 52 months perceived themselves as more moral at 67 months. However, the history empathy had no effect on their perceived moral self. Third, the children that showed stronger internalization from 25 to 52 months came to see themselves as more moral and “good.” These self- perceptions, in turn, predicted the way parents and teachers would rate their competent and adaptive functioning at 80 months. In contrast, the moral self did not did not appear to mediate the link between children’s history of empathy toward the parents and future adaptive and competent functioning.

Discussion

Why were the links between internalization rules and future behavior a stronger and more significant predictor of future behavior than empathy and future outcomes? The authors suggest their coding system did not differentiate well between sympathy and personal distress. Future research could further test mediators between internalization and future behavior. This study would suggest that there is a strong link past integration and internalization of moral self and future competence, adaptive and pro-social behavior.