Preschoolers' prosocial repertoires: Parents' perspectives

Abstract

Two cross-sectional developmental studies of prosocial behaviors displayed in natural settings by 2- and 5-year-olds using a prototype approach are reported. In the first study, caretakers described the most prosocial child they knew, resulting in 20 attributes for 2-year-olds and 24 attributes for 5-year-olds. In the second study, parents rated the relative importance of each attribute in defining a child as prosocial. Results indicated more similarities than differences between the two age groups and that research has underrepresented the rich repertoire of naturally occurring prosocial behavior in young children, ignoring behaviors salient and important to parents (e.g., being cheerful, sensitive, affectionate, friendly, and praising others) in favor of less typical behaviors (e.g., donation of commodities to charity). Broader and more relevant indices of prosocial behavior are needed. Results provide researchers with a data base which enables them to make informed decisions about the assessment of prosocial behavior.