PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MORAL SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS IN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE

Abstract

The paper presents a theoretical analysis of psychological characteristics of moral self-consciousness during preschool, primary school and adolescence years. It interprets moral self-consciousness as a specific form of moral consciousness, awareness of oneself, one’s moral values, attitudes, qualities, potentials, actions, their motives and consequences, regulation of one’s behaviour and moral self-development. The paper aims to theoretically identify psychological characteristics and mechanisms for developing moral self-consciousness during preschool, primary school and adolescence years. The main objectives are a psychological analysis and the generalization of characteristics of developing moral self-consciousness in childhood and adolescence. Research methods include analysis, synthesis and generalization of scientific works which disclose psychological characteristics of developing moral self-consciousness, as well as identify the mechanisms for developing them in childhood and adolescence. The paper theorizes that self-esteem in preschool becomes one of the leading motives which stimulates child activity. At the same time, the real and the ideal self, as well as a sound grasp of highly values qualities in society, are not yet clearly differentiated in his or her moral self-consciousness. It leads to a major contradiction in the development of the child’s moral self-consciousness, namely, between his or her idealization of himself or herself and experiences associated with how he or she is perceived by others. Self-consciousness starts to develop dramatically at primary school age. The main factors in the development of moral consciousness and self-consciousness of primary school pupils are the sensitivity of their psyche to moral education, an uncompromising attitude to moral requirements for others and the perception of the teacher as a reference person. Self-consciousness is the main newly formed structure of adolescence, namely, when the reflection is developed rapidly, the self-image is formed, the motives of one’s activity are realized, and the inner life is becoming rather intimate. Thus, the period of transition from childhood to adolescence is important and contributes to the development of one’s moral identity. It is during adolescence that “the solid foundation” of the adult’s moral behaviour is laid, and this must be taken into account during the educational process.

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