From norms to action: Exploring latent profile transitions of moral self-concept and normative stances in young children's sharing behavior.

This study followed 500 German children aged around 5 years over one year to understand how their moral self-concept and normative stances develop and relate to sharing behavior. The researchers identified seven different profiles combining moral self-concept and normative stances, with moral self-concept generally increasing over time while normative stances stayed stable or declined. Children who showed particular transitions in their moral profiles tended to share more, though overall the relationship between profile patterns and sharing was complex. Gender and socioeconomic differences emerged in moral development patterns.

Key points

• Seven distinct profiles of moral self-concept and normative stances were identified in 5-year-olds
• Moral self-concept increased over the year while normative stances remained stable or declined
• Children transitioning from high-moderate to moderate-low to moderate-moderate profiles shared more at the final measurement
• Only the low-moderate profile persisted consistently across all three measurement points
• Gender and socioeconomic differences were found in moral development patterns

Limitations

The study was conducted only in Germany with a mostly White sample, which limits generalizability to other cultural and ethnic contexts. The research examined correlations between moral profiles and sharing behavior but cannot establish causal relationships, and the 'complex nature' acknowledged by the authors suggests moral development does not follow simple linear patterns.