Reciprocidade nas trocas sociais de crianças e adolescentes: um estudo sobre aspectos cognitivos, sociais, afetivos e morais do desenvolvimento

Abstract

The objective of this research was to investigate how reciprocity occurs in the social exchanges of children and adolescents. Cognitive, social and moral aspects of human development were evaluated in the context of how these aspects are related to the manifestation of reciprocity in social exchanges. Twenty students from the 3rd to the 8th grade of a Brazilian Municipal Elementary School, located in Vitória, Espírito Santo, participated in the research. Of these, 10 were children in between 9 to 10 years old and 10 were adolescents in between 13 to 14 years old. Two instruments based on the Piagetian Theory were used and applied based on the Piagetian Clinical Method. The first is the “Adaptation of the Cognitive Development Level Assessment Instrument (IANDC)”, which classified the participants' notions of logical reversibility and of conservation of substance, weight and volume. The second instrument, entitled "Social Exchanges and Moral Aspects in the Fairy Tale 'The Little Mermaid' ', classified the level of moral development and the types of social exchanges presented by the participants. The data collection took place at the mentioned school, it was recorded on audio and video and the information was inserted in protocols. The data were analyzed qualitatively, also based on the Piagetian Clinical Method, based on pre-established data analysis criteria and categories according to the investigated concepts. The results showed that most of the participants are in the transition stage to acquire the notion of logical reversibility. In general, the children did not fully present the notions of conservation of substance, weight and volume; and the adolescents did not fully present the notions of weight and volume conservation. It was also observed that with advancing age there is progress towards the completion of the investigated notions. Regarding the moral aspects, the results showed that most of the participants are in the transition stage for the acquisition of moral autonomy, so that the adolescents presented more advanced levels of moral development than the children. In addition, most children and adolescents expressed moral reciprocity, gratitude and forgiveness in their social exchanges, with no difference in relation to age groups. However, in general, the participants did not extend the need to morally reciprocate benevolent attitudes received in social exchanges that do not contemplate affective bonds. It is concluded that individuals with the absence of the notion of logical reversibility and in the transition stage between heteronomy and autonomy can present moral reciprocity in their social exchanges. On the other hand, as expected, individuals who have a complete notion of reversibility and moral autonomy are capable of presenting moral reciprocity but will not necessarily manifest it in all situations. Considering that moral reciprocity implies mutual respect and is important for the community, the need to promote it in the different types of social exchanges experienced by individuals is emphasized.