Invitation to parents to participate in university research into children's understanding and experience or moral emotions

The University of Wollongong is inviting parents (as the primary caregiver) and their children to participate in an exploratory study conducted by researchers from Early Start and the School of Psychology.

This study is investigating the different features of children’s moral development, including the ways children understand moral situations and their moral feelings. They are also interested in how these aspects of children's moral development are related to the interactions they have with parents and their impact on children's interactions with other people.

Participation will be via an interview with parents and children will be via Zoom (an Internet-based video conferencing platform) for about 15-30 minutes only. An example of a question parents may be asked is, "Is your child concerned about the feelings of others?"

Your child's involvement will include participating in some structured (one-on-one) activities during a Zoom session of 45-60 minutes OR a face-to-face interview at your child's early childhood education and care service in a similar timeframe.

During the interview with your child, they will be presented with illustrated stories about everyday events (eg a child looking for her apple, a child choosing a food, a child involved in a minor conflict in the playground) and identifying how the story protagonist would think or feel in the situation. There may also be a video or puppets making contrasting statements with sought responses from children as to which puppet is more like them. A further activity make involve playing a game of Simon Says.

You can download the university's Children's Moral Development Information Sheet for their more comprehensve information.

Should you wish to participate, please complete the fouth page of the university's Children's Moral Development Information Sheet , and submit it to hmhg783@uowmail.edu.au or text an image of it to 0481 945 217.

For any further information/clarification, please contact Professor Marc de Rosnay (marcd@uow.edu.au or 0414 898 501), or Ms Heather Gan (hmhg783@uowmail.edu.au or 0481 945 217) or Ms Cheryl Ho (cjlh066@uowmail.edu.au).

PUBLISHED: 11 MAY 2022