Abstract

ANDRADE, Maria Waleska Camboim Lopes de; CAMINO, Cleonice  and  DIAS, Maria da Graça Bompastor Borges. The development of human values from 5 to 14 years old: an exploratory study. Interam. j. psychol. [online]. 2008, vol.42, n.1, pp. 19-27. ISSN 0034-9690.

Many Social and Human Sciences researchers have been investigating the existence of individual and cultural values. How those values emerge during the mental development? On present research, one observes the development of the human values, based on Jean Piaget's theory. It focuses on the following three crucial moments of personality development: (1) First childhood; (2) Second childhood, and (3) Adolescence, considering four values: Obedience; Cooperation; Responsibility and Creativity. 116 children and adolescents, both gender, students of three privates schools from the city of João Pessoa, Brazil have participated. They defined some values as names. Their answers were analyzed in order to find particular characteristics on each one of three developmental segments - 5 to 8 years old; 9 to 11 years old and 12 to 14 years old. Categories were organized from lower to higher level of descentration, and named as: (1) Undefined; (2) Intrapersonal; (3) Interpersonal, and (4) Impersonal ones. The results indicated significant differences between the ways participants defined values. Children under 9 years old gave Intrapersonal answers to all values. Those who were between 9 to 11 years old presented Interpersonal answers tending alternatively to Intrapersonal and Impersonal categories. The adolescents hardly used Intrapersonal resources on values definitions.

Keywords : Values; Descentration; Development.

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