ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to increase the understanding of conscience, including moral cognitions, moral emotions and moral behaviour. According to Thompson and colleagues conscience can be described as the cognitive, affective and relational processes that facilitate a person's action according to internalised standards, which are outlined by experience, personal interactions and community expectations. Emde described social interactions in early development as the beginning of the socialisation process, which in his view is the core of moral development. In contrast to the socialisation processes, neurobiological views focus heavily on predisposition factors. According to Bowbly, attachment is defined as the relationship between infants and their primary caregivers. Nevertheless, cognitive distortions seem to be an important mediator in the relationship between moral competence and moral behaviour. The Affective Morality Index (AMI) and the Basic Empathy Scale (BES) involve questionnaires measuring moral emotions. Future studies should therefore extend previous research in which it will be examined whether we indeed are all born with a conscience.
