Children's Prosocial Behavior Research Articles

Fostering empathy through critical literacy in early childhood education in Colombia

ABSTRACT In Colombia, some educational settings, particularly territories with high levels of educational inequality, uphold conventional teaching strategies where emotional education and critical thinking receive little attention. This study is rooted in our intention to contribute to peace education in early childhood educational environments by fostering critical thinking and empathy, a predictor of prosocial behavior in children. The aim of this study is, first, that young children develop empathy by recognizing situations of oppression and injustice in children’s literature using critical literacy practices; and second, to contribute to young children’s development of critical thinking. Utilizing Critical Discourse Analysis, we suggest that critical literacy practices enhance empathy and critical thinking in young children through three strategies: reading selected children’s literature aloud, responding through multimodal texts, and having an open dialogue about critical issues that affect children in local communities. This article contributes to the literature about literacy, empathy development, and peace education with young children.

Parental reactions to child negative emotions and child behavioral adjustment: The moderating role of child inhibitory control

According to the heuristic model of emotion socialization by Eisenberg et al., parental reactions to children’s negative emotions (RCNE) have an important role in this socialization process; however, its effects on children’s social-emotional outcomes may be moderated by the children’s temperament. This longitudinal study verified this proposition by testing maternal and paternal RCNE as predictors of preschoolers’ behavioral adjustment and child inhibitory control as a moderator of these associations. Mothers and fathers of 113 Chinese children (Mage = 57.41 months, SD = 7.16 months) reported on their RCNE and child inhibitory control at Time 1 (T1) and reported on child behavioral adjustment (i.e., externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and prosocial behaviors) both at T1 and 6 months later (Time 2, T2). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that after controlling for child behavioral adjustment at T1, child age, and paternal education level, (a) paternal supportive reactions negatively predicted child externalizing problems and positively predicted child prosocial behaviors, and (b) the associations between parental RCNE and child behavioral adjustment were moderated by child inhibitory control. Specifically, only for children low on inhibitory control, paternal supportive reactions negatively predicted child externalizing problems, and maternal supportive reactions positively predicted child prosocial behaviors.

Impact of "intensive parenting attitude" on children's social competence via maternal parenting behavior.

"Intensive parenting" is a tendency to invest parents' time, money, and energy in their child. This also includes some gender bias concerning a mother being the best person to primarily raise her children. Some psychology scholars have pointed out that this attitude causes much stress, anxiety, depression, and a sense of guilt among mothers. However, its effects on children have yet to be revealed using an extensive survey, and this indicates the need to investigate any possible impact of an intensive parenting attitude on children. The aim of this study was to elucidate a link between a maternal intensive parenting attitude and their children's social competence through maternal parenting behavior. This was based on collecting data from 675 Japanese women who were mothers of preschoolers using the Japanese version of the Intensive Parenting Attitude Questionnaire, the Positive and Negative Parenting Scale, and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. The results showed that the "Essentialism," "Fulfillment," and "Child-centered" components of intensive parenting attitude influenced the "involvement and monitoring" and "positive responsivity" of parenting behavior. Furthermore, these two parenting behaviors affected children's prosocial behavior and hyperactivity/inattention. These findings suggest that an intensive parenting attitude has some impact on children as well as mothers, both positively and negatively, pointing to a serious effect on society.

Children's bias beyond group boundaries: Perceived differences, outgroup attitudes and prosocial behaviour

AbstractThis study explored how children's perceptions of social group differences relate to attitudes and behaviour towards real‐world outgroups. We examined Arab‐Christian children living in Israel (N = 231, 52% female, average age 9.8 years) and randomly presented them with either Arab‐Muslim or Jewish outgroup targets. The children performed tasks measuring attitudes and prosocial behaviour towards the outgroup. Additionally, they were asked to describe the differences between their ingroup and the outgroup target. We found that children favoured the Arab‐Muslim outgroup over the Jewish outgroup, and perceived it as having fewer dimensions of difference from their ingroup. Fewer perceived dimensions of difference correlated with more positive attitudes. By the age of 12, however, perceiving more dimensions of difference was linked to increased compensatory prosocial behaviour towards the Jewish outgroup. The findings emphasize the dynamic interplay between cognitive development and intergroup experiences in understanding children's prosocial behaviour towards different outgroups.

Prenatal particulate matter exposure is linked with neurobehavioural development in early life

BackgroundEarly life exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) may negatively affect neurobehavioral development in children, influencing their cognitive, emotional, and social functioning. Here, we report a study on prenatal PM2.5 exposure and neurobehavioral development focusing on different time points in the first years of life. MethodsThis study was part of the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort that follows mother-child pairs longitudinally. First, the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) was employed on 88 newborns aged one to two months to assess their autonomic/physiological regulation, motor organisation, state organisation/regulation, and attention/social interaction. Second, our study included 393 children between the ages of four and six years, for which the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to assess the children's emotional problems, hyperactivity, conduct problems, peer relationship, and prosocial behaviour. Prenatal PM2.5 exposure was determined using a high-resolution spatial-temporal method based on the maternal address. Multiple linear and multinomial logistic regression models were used to analyse the relationship between prenatal PM2.5 exposure and neurobehavioral development in newborns and children, respectively. ResultsA 5 μg/m³ increase in first-trimester PM2.5 concentration was associated with lower NBAS range of state cluster scores (−6.11%; 95%CI: −12.00 to −0.23%; p = 0.04) in one-to-two-month-old newborns. No other behavioural clusters nor the reflexes cluster were found to be associated with prenatal PM2.5 exposure. Furthermore, a 5 μg/m³ increment in first-trimester PM2.5 levels was linked with higher odds of a child experiencing peer problems (Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.89; 95%CI: 1.39 to 10.87; p = 0.01) at ages four to six. Additionally, a 5 μg/m³ increase in second-trimester PM2.5 concentration was linked to abnormal prosocial behaviour (OR = 0.49; 95%CI: 0.25 to 0.98; p = 0.04) at four to six years old. No associations were found between in utero PM2.5 exposure and hyperactivity or conduct problems. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that prenatal exposure to PM may impact neurobehavioural development in newborns and preschool children. We identified sensitive time windows during early-to-mid pregnancy, possibly impacting stage changes in newborns and peer problems and prosocial behaviour in children.

Association between Family Functioning, Child Emotional and Behavioral Problems, and Parental Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Thailand.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on people of all ages, especially children. This is a cross-sectional study in Thailand to explore the emotional and behavioral problems of school-aged children and associated factors during the lockdown. An online survey was conducted with 942 parents of school-age children. Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores showed that total difficulties and all subscale difficulties (hyperactivity, conduct problems, peer problems, and emotional problems) were increased, whereas prosocial behaviors were decreased in the pandemic period. The factors significantly associated with higher parental stress were higher emotional and peer problems after the COVID-19 outbreak, high family difficulty, and sleep problems. Sleep problems were associated with all children's difficulties, except prosocial behavior. High score in family difficulty subscale was associated with increased emotional problems, whereas poor family communication was associated with increased hyperactivity. Appetite change was negatively associated with parental stress and some children's difficulties. Higher household income, family time, physical activities, and recreational activities were associated with a decreased level of some difficulties and family functioning problems, but positively with an increase in the prosocial behavior of children. Additionally, higher screen time was associated with a higher level of hyperactivity, conduct problems, and poor family communication. This study demonstrated that Thai children were at high risk of developing mental health problems during the pandemic lockdown. We suggest that intervention to promote physical activities and reduce screen time is needed. Moreover, efficient monetary policy is urgently required. The limitations here include a recall bias with no baseline to compare and a potential selection bias due to parental selection and a webpage announcement.

Social class, schadenfreude, and children's prosocial behavior in moral contexts.

Previous research has shown mixed results regarding the relationship between social class and children's prosocial behavior. The current study aims to further our understanding of these findings by exploring the relationship between social class and children's prosocial behavior in a moral context. Study 1 (N = 833) found that when a target child pursued a morally negative goal and subsequently experienced misfortune, children from higher social class, compared to those from lower social class, experienced greater schadenfreude and exhibited less prosocial behavior. The relation between social class and prosocial behavior was mediated by schadenfreude. Study 2 (N = 389) investigated whether the greater schadenfreude experienced by children from higher social class was due to a weaker empathic response to misfortune or a stronger sense of deservingness. The results revealed a sequential mediation effect of social class on prosocial behavior through deservingness and schadenfreude. These findings provide insight into the impact of social class on the development of children's moral judgment, emotions, and behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The association between parents phubbing and prosocial behavior among Chinese preschool children: a moderated mediation model.

The popularization and widespread use of smartphones and other electronic devices have led to the occurrence of "parents phubbing", which may have a negative impact on child-parent relationship and preschoolers' prosocial behavior. To clarify this process, a questionnaire survey was conducted with 3,834 parents from 20 kindergartens in Zhuhai, China. This study examined the relationship between between parents phubbing, closeness child-parent relationship, authoritative parenting style and children's prosocial behavior. According to the study, we found a significant negative correlation between parents phubbing and preschoolers' prosocial behavior. Closeness child-parent relationship mediated between parents phubbing and preschoolers' prosocial behavior through mediation effects analysis. In other words, parent phubbing was negatively associated with closeness child-parent relationship, which in turn predicted less child prosocial behavior. In addition, authoritative parenting styles have a moderating effect. As the level of authoritative parenting style increases, the negative impact of parent phubbing on the prosocial behavior of preschool children is attenuated. This study contributes to the understanding of the relationship between parents phubbing and prosocial behaviors of preschool children, as well as the internal mechanisms at work. Practically, the study suggests that parents should reduce the incidence of phubbing in their contact with their children and, at the same time, work to improve the child-parent relationship and promote the development of prosocial behaviors in children.

Resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia moderates the within-person relations of parental emotional expressivity and children's prosocial behaviors.

Parental supportive emotional expressivity could contribute to children's prosocial behaviors, and such an effect may differ for children with different levels of resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). This study disentangled the stable differences across dyads (i.e., between-person effects) from the dynamic associations between parental expressivity and children's prosocial behaviors within dyads (i.e., within-person effects) and determined how resting RSA functioned as a susceptibility factor in such effects. The longitudinal design consisted of three measurements with a 1-year interval performed among 208 school-aged children (48.6% girls; Han nationality) and their parents (153 mothers and 55 fathers). The initial measurement was conducted when the children were 7 years old (Mage =7.13, SDage =.33). Resting RSA was calculated at the first measurement; parents reported children's prosocial behaviors and parental expressivity at each of the three measurements. The results demonstrated significant between- and within-person effects of parental expressivity on children's prosocial behaviors and found a moderating role of children's resting RSA in the within-person effects. These findings suggest that children displayed more prosocial behaviors when parents showed more supportive expressivity both across and within dyads, and higher resting RSA operated as a differential susceptibility factor in the intraindividual fluctuations in parental expressivity.

Effect Of Parenting Styles on Children’s Prosocial Behavior

The aim of the review is to analyze the correlation between parenting styles and children’s prosocial behavior development. Due to the observation of the lack of prosocial behavior in some children’s lives, often with insufficient socialization, social difficulties, and other phenomena that affect future development, we want to figure out the best parenting style for children to grow up. Recently, under the increasingly severe challenge of children’s psychological problems, it is important to review the impact of parenting styles on children's prosocial behavior. Through three databases, we selected literature related to parenting styles and children's prosocial behavior during the late 20 years for study, reference, and analysis. The result showed that authoritative parenting encourages the prosocial behavior of children, while authoritarian parenting hinders the advancement of children's prosocial behavior. After a series of analyses, we concluded that authoritative parenting is currently the most recommended parenting style for the development of well-rounded personalities and prosocial behavior in children. For children and adolescents who lack prosocial behavior, acquired education is helpful in improving their behavior and cognition. The findings indicated that parenting styles is essential for the growth of children’s prosocial behavior.

Theory of mind, empathy, and prosocial behavior in children and adolescent: a meta-analysis

Theory of mind, empathy, and prosocial behavior in children and adolescent: a meta-analysis

School-based delivery of a dialogic book sharing intervention: a feasibility study of Books Together

IntroductionGrowing numbers of children enter mainstream education without the skills needed to prosper in the school environment. Without additional support, these children face poor long-term outcomes in terms of academic attainment, mental health difficulties and social problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of school-based delivery of the Books Together dialogic book sharing program to groups of parents, and to explore whether it impacts parent and child outcomes in order to facilitate school readiness.MethodsParents of children aged 3–5 years old (n = 16) were recruited from four North Wales primary schools. Video observations of parent/child interactions, a gaming format measure of expressive child language ability, parent-report measures of children’s behavior, and social-emotional ability and of their parental competence were collected pre- and post-intervention. Thematic analysis of interviews with parents and the school-based staff who delivered the program explored feasibility and acceptability of the program.ResultsSignificant post-intervention increases in observed positive parenting and child expressive language skills and significant reductions in observed negative parenting were found. Parents reported significantly higher rates of child prosocial behavior and social/emotional ability as well as improved parenting competency at follow-up. Thematic analysis showed that staff and parents were satisfied with the program and that it was feasible to deliver in a school environment.DiscussionThe Books Together program is a low-cost intervention that, when delivered by school-based staff, shows promise for increasing the use of parenting strategies that build children’s language and social/emotional skills associated with school readiness.

Prosocial Behaviour Development among Preschool Children: Effect of Peer Socialisation

This study applied a systematic literature review to explore the influence of peer socialisation on prosocial behaviour among preschool children. Using Manual content analysis, 57 studies were identified; variables covered peer socialisation and prosocial behaviour. The study revealed that the majority of research focused on the role of parental and siblings' socialisation in the home context and teachers' socialisation in the school context and their influence on prosocial behaviours among young children. However, few studies focused on the influence of peer socialisation on children's prosocial behaviour in preschools. The main analyses were revealed to be regression and multilevel. Few studies linked attachment theory with socialisation and prosocial behaviour. This is the first study to explore the influence of peer socialisation on prosocial behaviour among preschool children in Tanzania. Since prosocial behaviour is a foundation of positive emotional development and individual well-being, this study recommends that preschool curriculum should consider peer socialisation as an important aspect in promoting prosocial behaviour. Teachers in preschools should be advised to design frameworks that can guide peer socialisation among children in a bid to enhance sustainable and prospective prosocial behaviour, which has a great influence on positive emotional development, positive social interaction, and cognitive development among young children in preschool contexts

Theories of prosocial behavior in young school-age students

Research in the field of prosocial behavior in children is at the forefront for several reasons. Firstly, many studies often focus on individuals’ antisocial behavior, but it is essential to direct our attention to the prosocial aspect of behavior. Additionally, the relevance of researching prosocial behavior is evident in the context of educational sciences because it explores the connection between social and individual aspects of personality development and the influence of processes of socialization and individualization. In today’s society, where many people are increasingly focused on personal achievements and individual success, researching and understanding the internal mechanisms underlying prosocial behavior becomes more and more critical. These mechanisms are fundamental for guiding individuals towards the well-being of others and promoting actions in favor of other individuals, which adds significant relevance to this field of study.

Prenatal buds of conditional regard and autonomy support: Associations with postnatal parenting and child adjustment.

Toddlerhood is a period where issues of autonomy and control in parent-child relationships become particularly intense. In response to these challenges, some parents adopt controlling practices, whereas others are more autonomy supportive. However, research has yet to examine prenatal orientations that foreshadow specific controlling or autonomy-supportive parental practices in toddlerhood and children's socioemotional functioning. In particular, literature on early childhood socialization lacks sufficient evidence on the effects of the controversial controlling practice of parental conditional positive regard. To increase our knowledge on these issues, we examined reports provided by Israeli Jewish mothers during their first pregnancy (N = 294), at 18-month postpartum (N = 226), and when the child was 42 months old (N = 134). To control for child temperament, both parents reported 8-month postpartum (N = 235) on infant temperament dispositions, which may act as precursors of later socioemotional functioning. Structural equations modeling revealed that a general prenatal maternal orientation to use conditional regard as a socialization practice predicted mothers' use of the specific practices of conditional positive and negative regard with toddlers, which then predicted internalizing problems when children reached the age of 42 months. Additionally, a general prenatal orientation toward autonomy-supportive parenting predicted mothers' perspective taking with toddlers, which then predicted children's prosocial behavior at 42 months. The effects emerged also after controlling for infants' temperamental dispositions toward negative emotionality and positive affect. Findings underlie the potential role of prenatal orientations toward conditional regard and autonomy support that, when later transform into specific early parenting practices, may serve as early markers of child socioemotional adjustment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The joint effects of individual-level and classroom-level teacher−child relationships on children’s psychosocial adjustment: A longitudinal study

This longitudinal study examined the interactive effects of individual- and classroom-level teacher−child relationships on developing externalizing, internalizing, and prosocial behaviors in kindergarten children over time. On two occasions separated by about 1 year, data were collected from 473 kindergarten children (52% boys, Mage = 4.36 years) and their class teachers and mothers in Hong Kong, China. Class teachers reported the closeness and conflict in their relationships with each participating child of their class at Time 1, and mothers reported the child’s externalizing, internalizing, and prosocial behaviors at Times 1 and 2. Results indicated that controlling for child age, gender, grade, maternal education, and prior levels of child adjustment, individual-level teacher−child closeness was negatively associated with internalizing behaviors, and individual-level teacher−child conflict was positively associated with child externalizing behaviors over time. Classroom-level teacher−child closeness and conflict emerged as moderators. The longitudinal association between individual-level teacher−child closeness and externalizing behaviors was negative in low-closeness classrooms but not in high-closeness classrooms. However, the longitudinal association between individual-level teacher−child conflict and child prosocial behaviors was negative in low-conflict classrooms but not in high-conflict classrooms. Despite the statistical significance of the cross-level interaction effects, they were of small effect sizes and explained only very small amounts of variance. Theoretically, our findings demonstrated the interplay of the individual- and classroom-level teacher−child relationships in shaping children’s psychosocial adjustment over time. Practically, our findings highlighted the importance of enhancing teachers’ awareness of the affective quality of their relationships with children at both classroom and individual levels, which could potentially impede or promote child development.

The Corelation Of Parental Attention To Prosocial Behavior In Group B Children In Paud Segugus Kembang Sepatu Kecamatan Muara Bangkahulu Bengkulu City

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between parental attention to prosocial behavior of group B children at PAUD Segugus Kembang Sepatu Muara Bangkahulu Subdistrict, Bengkulu City. This research is a correlational research. The population used in this study was 142 children. The number of samples taken by random sampling cluster with a sample of 58 children and parents. The research data analysis was product moment correlation. The results showed parental attention from 4 sub-indicators (guidance and advice, supervision, giving rewards and punishments, and creating a conducive home) with an average value of 3.39 in the very high category and children's prosocial behavior from 4 sub (empathy, sharing, cooperation and care) with an average value of 3.23 in the high category. There is a significant relationship between parental attention and children's prosocial behavior. It is recommended that future researchers look for prosocial behavior factors with other factors including maturity, social status, education and mental capacity.

Who, how, and when do children help? A systematic review of children's outgroup prosocial behavior

AbstractGiven the ingroup bias in children's prosocial behaviors, understanding what characterizes and predicts children's prosocial behaviors directed at outgroups has implications for more harmonious intergroup relations. We conducted a systematic review outlining the important theoretical frameworks that drive research in this area and examined the targets, types, and predictors surrounding prosocial behavior toward socially relevant outgroups among children ages 3–12 years. A total of 24 studies were included in the narrative synthesis. A range of targets of prosocial behavior (i.e., who was the intended recipient of the act) was observed and included both individual outgroup members and the collective outgroup. The studies also varied in the types of outgroup prosocial behavior assessed, including resource allocation, helping intentions, and collective prosocial behavior. Predictors of prosocial behavior occurred at two levels: individual and contextual. Individual predictors included contact, outgroup stereotypes, essentialist beliefs, empathy and mentalization, and fairness. Contextual factors included geographic proximity, reciprocity and collaboration, cost of helping, structural inequality, and intergroup conflict. Finally, we focus on age‐related changes to map the developmental trajectory of both the characteristics and predictors of prosocial behaviors. In a divided world, the implications for future research on outgroup prosocial behavior during childhood are discussed. We also reflect on the need for future longitudinal and culturally embedded research.

Parent-Child Discrepancies in Perceived Parental Control and Their Associations with Children's Prosocial Behaviors in Early Adolescence within Chinese Families.

How parent-child discrepancies in perceived parental control associate with children's prosocial behaviors remains unknown. This study examined this issue in 578 Chinese children (297 girls, Mage = 10.85, SDage = 0.72) and their mothers and fathers. Parents and children reported parental psychological and behavioral control, and children reported their prosocial behaviors. The latent difference scores modeling showed that compared to parents' perceptions, children's higher perceptions of guilt induction were related to more public prosocial behaviors; higher perceptions of love withdrawal were linked to fewer altruistic, compliant, emotional, and dire prosocial behaviors; and higher reporting of solicitation was associated with more general prosocial behaviors. The findings revealed the association between parent-child discrepancies and early adolescents' prosocial behaviors, supporting both the discrepancy-maladaptive hypotheses and the discrepancy-adaptive hypotheses within Chinese families.

Frequency of Device Use on Prosocial Behavior of Early Age Children 5-6 Years

The use of devices in early childhood has a time limit so that they have a good impact. The high frequency of device use among children will influence children's social behavior, especially prosocial behavior. This study aims to analyze the influence of frequency of device use on the prosocial behavior of children aged 5-6 years. This research uses ex-post facto quantitative research. The population in this study were parents (mothers) with children aged 5-6 years in PAUD institutions. This study used two-stage cluster sampling with a sample size of three sub-districts, one kindergarten for each with 59 parents (mothers). Data collection in this study used a questionnaire method with an instrument in the form of a statement sheet that parents (mothers) need to fill out to obtain data on the frequency of device use in children, children's prosocial behavior, and personal data on parents and children. The data obtained was then analyzed using a simple linear regression test processed with the help of SPSS. The data analysis results show an influence between the frequency of device use and the prosocial behavior of children aged 5-6 years. Apart from that, the correlation value shows a negative influence between the frequency of using devices and the prosocial behavior of children aged 5-6 years. This research implies that the frequency of using devices influences the prosocial behavior of children aged 5-6, meaning that the higher the frequency, the lower the child's prosocial behavior, and vice versa.