Fostering heroism

Historically, most research on psychosocial behavior has focused on the negative aspects of human behavior. More recently, in an effort to promote prosocial behavior, the positive psychology movement has opted to explore the origins of positive human behavior. The present study of heroism in children, based largely on the work and inspiration of Dr. Philip Zimbardo, was similarly conceived. While empirical research examining the characteristics and promotion of heroism in children is limited, its social importance has gained significance with the emergence of bullying and other negative social behaviors in our schools and on the internet. While empirically researching the topic of heroic behavior in children does not easily lend itself to the laboratory setting, its exploration remains an important area of study. Therefore, this researcher chose to empirically validate an existing program designed to teach heroism: The Hero Construction Company's presentation on heroism designed for school-aged children.;In this study, 62 fourth- and fifth-grade students from Morrish Elementary School in Swartz Creek, Michigan, attended the presentation. They were administered the Courage Measure for Children (CM-C) immediately prior to the presentation (T1), immediately after the presentation (T2), and 30 days after the presentation (T3). Results indicated a significant increase in the students' levels of courage for the first two time periods; however, there was no significant difference in courage levels during the third time period, although the levels were maintained. These results suggest that moral teachings can positively influence the internal moral traits of children. Specifically, this study provides beginning empirical evidence that exposure to a program about heroism can lead to an increase in the internal feelings of courage in children. These findings provide clinicians with a unique method to approach working with children suffering from issues such as depression or anxiety, teachers and school psychologists an avenue to help students who are struggling socially, and caregivers a way to help strengthen their children's feelings of moral courage. Recommendations for future research are also discussed.