Copyright Malvin Porter, Jr. 2010 - acumen - The University of ...

Social Domain Theory
Social domain theory begins with the premise that children’s understanding of social
situations has a strong influence on their subsequent behavior (Arsenio & Lemerise, 2004). A
key element is the understanding of social conventions, which are defined as contextually
relative, shared uniformities and norms. Social conventions serve as rules and guidelines that
promote and coordinate smooth social interactions in social systems. Social conventions provide
contextual expectations for appropriate social behavior. Social conventions are contingent on
specific rules and authority, which are agreed upon and alterable by social consensus (Arsenio &
Lemerise, 2004).
Children’s social conventions for aggressive and prosocial behavior are derived from
their attempts to understand social interactions involving deliberate physical and psychological
harm (Turiel, 1998). Social domain research has shown that aggressive children focus on the
consequences of conventional rule violations (e.g., acts that lead to punishment or that have
explicit rules against aggressive behavior) instead of the negative implications of the aggressive
acts toward their victims (Nucci & Herman, 1982). Conversely, children with prosocial
behavioral tendencies consider both the positive aspects of social norms and the positive
implications of prosocial acts toward peers.
Social knowledge is defined as social orientations (e.g., social conventions, justice,
authority) that include personal issues (e.g., privacy, bodily integrity, control, and preferences),
motivations (e.g., aggressive vs. prosocial), and goals (e.g., obtaining desired objects vs.
attaining social dominance) (Smetana, 2006). According to social domain theory, children’s
social orientations constitute an organized system of social knowledge that is derived from their
social experiences (Turiel, 1983, 1998). Children’s social knowledge becomes differentiated
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