A comprehensive theory of morality must explain how moral reasoning, in 
conjunction with other psychosocial factors, governs moral conduct. Social cog­
nitive theory adopts a cognitive interactionist perspective to moral phenomena. 
Within this conceptual framework, personal factors in the form of moral thought 
and affective self-reactions, moral conduct, and environmental factors all operate 
as interacting determinants that influence each other bidirectionally. Moral think­
ing is a process in which multidimensional rules or standards are used to judge 
conduct. Situations with moral implications contain many decisional ingredients 
that may be given lesser or greater weight depending upon the standards by 
which they are cognitively processed and the particular constellations of events 
in given moral predicaments. There are some culturally universal features to the 
developmental changes of standards of conduct and the locus of moral agency. 
These commonalities arise from basic uniformities in the types of biopsycho­
social changes that occur with increasing age in all cultures. A theory of morality 
requires a broader conception than is provided by rationalistic approaches cast in 
terms of skill in abstract reasoning. Moral conduct is motivated and regulated 
mainly by the ongoing exercise of self-reactive influence. Self-regulatory mecha­
nisms, therefore, form an integral part in the conception of moral agency in 
social cognitive theory. Development of self-regulatory capabilities does not 
create an invariant control mechanism within a person. Self-reactive influences 
do not operate unless they are activated, and there are many psychosocial pro­
cesses by which self-sanctions can be selectively activated and disengaged from 
transgressive conduct. Mechanisms of moral disengagement also play a central 
role in the social cognitive theory of morality.

Social cognitive theory of moral thought and action.

https://psycnet.apa.org/journals/bul/81/8/453.pdf

The development of moral thought: review and evaluation of Kohlberg's approach.

Social learning of moral judgments.

COSTANZO, PHILIP R.; COIE, JOHN D.; GRUMET, JUDY F.; and FARNILL, DOUGLAS. A Reexamination of the Effects of Intent and Consequence on Children's Moral Judgments. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1973, 44, 154-161. Effects of intent and consequences on the moral judgments of 3 age groups of children (5--11 years) were measured using 4 stories combining positive and negative intentions and consequences. Subjects made their own judgments and attributed judgments to a story figure who had no access to intent information. The use of intention increased linearly with age for judgments of actors producing negative consequences, while all age groups tended to use intent cues for the positive-consequence stories. Social perspective taking, measured by own versus other rating differences, increased with age for both positiveand negative-consequence conditions. Results were compared with the existing literature on moral judgment which has utilized only negative-consequence paradigms. A socialization explanation was advanced for the differential findings on positive and negative consequences. The social perspectivism findings were discussed in terms of the relationship between role taking and moral judgment skills.

J Langer

Papers

Social learning and Piaget's cognitive theory of moral development.