Socio-moral reasoning after frontal lobe damage: A study of pediatric traumatic brain injury
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1
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Australia
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2
Royal Children's Hospital, Department of Psychology, Australia
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3
University of Melbourne, School of Behavioural Sciences, Australia
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4
University of Montreal, Department of Psychology, Canada
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5
Edith Cowan University, Child Health Promotion Research Centre, Australia
Background: Many of the brain regions associated with moral reasoning (MR) involve neural circuits of the frontal lobe, which are vulnerable to the effects of pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). Prefrontal lesions have been associated with immature levels of moral reasoning and serious social and behavioural problems, and may lead to a failure to abide by society guidelines. Method: A new task (Socio-Moral Reasoning Aptitude Level, ‘So-Moral’), which takes into account developmental stages of MR and is adapted to adolescent reality, was administered to 25 adolescents with TBI and 40 age-matched controls (12-18 years), as part of a battery of social and behavioural measures. Results: Adolescents with TBI obtained lower levels of moral maturity than their peers, suggesting they may experience difficulties when making moral decisions. In addition, presence of frontal pathology increased the detrimental effect of TBI on MR. Conclusions: The So-Moral is a new tool, which provides insight into the development of MR in adolescence and clinical populations. Findings indicate that frontal involvement is a risk factor for poorer moral reasoning after early TBI. Better identification of MR deficits is critical to understanding the relationship between poor decision-making and delinquent behaviour after childhood TBI.
Conference:
The 20th Annual Rotman Research Institute Conference, The frontal lobes, Toronto, Canada, 22 Mar - 26 Mar, 2010.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Frontal Lobe Development
Citation:
Anderson
V,
Beauchamp
MH and
Dooley
J
(2010). Socio-moral reasoning after frontal lobe damage: A study of pediatric traumatic brain injury.
Conference Abstract:
The 20th Annual Rotman Research Institute Conference, The frontal lobes.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.14.00048
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Received:
28 Jun 2010;
Published Online:
28 Jun 2010.
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Correspondence:
M. H Beauchamp, University of Montreal, Department of Psychology, Montréal, Canada, Miriam.beauchamp@umontreal.ca