Predictors Of Prosocial Behavior Research Articles

Academic Stress and Resilience as Predictors of Pro-Social Behaviour among Undergraduates of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko

The problems of pro-social behavior among individuals have been in existence from the recorded history. Studies that have investigated pro-social behavior have used different predictors and populations with varied results. Therefore, this study investigated academic stress and resilience as predictors of pro-social behavior among first year undergraduates of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria. The study adopted cross-sectional survey design while convenience sampling technique was used to collect data from 219 participants using the Pro-social Behavior Scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory and Resilience Scale. Data collected were analyzed using multiple regressions to test three hypotheses which were accepted at a p < .05 level of significance. The result showed that academic stress and resilience jointly predicted pro-social behavior among study participants [R2 =.10, F (2,216) =11.88, p < .05]. In addition, academic stress (β= -.26, p < .05) independently predicted pro-social behavior while resilience did not independently predict pro-social behavior among study participants (β = .12, p > .05). The study concluded that academic stress is a strong predictor of pro-social behavior among study participants. It is recommended that university management and other stakeholders should organize regular seminars on stress reduction techniques that would encourage activities that would lead to pro-social behavior among undergraduates.

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.

Longitudinal relations between perceived economic inequality and prosocial behavior among Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of system justification

Despite a growing awareness of the detrimental effects of economic inequality, less is known about whether adolescents’ perception of economic inequality relates to their long-term development. This study examined the relations between perceived economic inequality, system justification, and prosocial behavior in a three-wave longitudinal study among 1,525 Chinese adolescents (50.1% boys; Mage at Wave 1 = 12.47 years, SD = 0.69). Results from cross-lagged panel models revealed that perceived economic inequality predicted less prosocial behavior, and system justification mediated this association. System justification also predicted lower perceived economic inequality longitudinally. These findings enrich our understanding of the macro-level economic factors as predictors of prosocial behavior and highlight the negative effects of economic inequality on adolescents’ social development.

Subjective Well-being and School Functioning among High School Students

Subjective well-being (SWB) is a complex concept that includes all facets of effective and healthy human functioning across many different domains. This study sought to determine how teenagers' subjective well-being correlated with three measures of school functioning: academic achievement, academic satisfaction, and prosocial behavior. 223 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 were included, with girls making up to 54.9% of the group (M = 15.67, SD = 1.21) and boys 45.1% (M = 16.21, SD = 1.16). Academic satisfaction and performance are the next best predictors of prosocial behavior among study participants, followed by their subjective well-being. Students' academic satisfaction and prosocial behavior are strongly predicted by their gratitude and school connection. However, there was no statistically significant correlation between these characteristics and students' academic achievement. For all participants, academic efficacy and satisfaction were important outcome predictors. Together, these findings indicate that that student subjective well-being is an important resource for improving academic performance in adolescents.

Ability and Trait Emotional Intelligence: Do They Contribute to the Explanation of Prosocial Behaviour?

Previous research on ability emotional intelligence (EI) has shown that EI positively contributes to different positive life outcomes. However, the role of EI abilities in prosocial behaviour (PSB) has not been sufficiently investigated. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between EI abilities measured by tests and self-reports, empathy and PSB in the student population. A total of N = 331 university students completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, two EI tests, and self-report measures of EI, cognitive empathy, emotional reactivity and PSB. Of all EI measures, only self-reports correlated with PSB. Cognitive and emotional empathy were also related to PSB. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that self-assessed EI, cognitive empathy and emotional reactivity were predictors of PSB. Cognitive empathy and emotional reactivity also mediated the relationship between self-assessed EI and PSB. The results showed that for the prediction of PSB, it is important how a person evaluates his emotional abilities, and not what the actual level of these abilities is. Furthermore, people with higher self-estimated EI behave prosocially more often because they experience empathy to a greater extent, both cognitively and emotionally.

Maladaptive personality traits as predictors of prosocial and trusting behavior in two economic games

BackgroundDimensional models of personality disorders postulate interpersonal dysfunction as the core feature of personality pathology, and describe maladaptive personality traits that characterize the specific pattern of dysfunction that is experienced. Herein, we examined whether maladaptive traits predict prosocial and trusting behavior, both of which are highly relevant behaviors for interpersonal functioning. Specifically, we examined antagonism as a predictor of prosocial behavior in a dictator game, and suspiciousness as a predictor of trust in the faith game.Materials and methodsThe study was preregistered and conducted online. The preregistration protocol is available at https://osf.io/er43j. Data and code are available at https://osf.io/2rvbg/. Participants (N = 445) completed the German version of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 to measure antagonism and suspiciousness. Additionally, they played the dictator game (more money taken away from another person indicates less prosocial behavior) and the faith game (choosing the sure choice instead of the faith choice indicates less trust). We conducted a linear regression model to test whether antagonism is associated with prosocial behavior in the dictator game and a logistic regression model to test whether suspiciousness predicts selection of the sure choice in the faith game.ResultsAs hypothesized, higher levels of antagonism were associated with less prosocial behavior in the dictator game. The remaining hypotheses were not supported, as suspiciousness was not significantly associated with the likelihood of choosing the sure choice in the faith game. Exploratory analyses on participants’ estimates of the sure choice amount suggest successful experimental manipulation in the faith game.ConclusionsThe results on antagonism and prosocial behavior are consistent with those of previous studies that used categorial classification systems of personality disorders or examined non-pathological personality traits. Potential explanations for the non-significant effects of suspiciousness are discussed, including the small size and range of the sure choice payoff and that the anonymity of the game may have precluded suspicious traits from expressing. Future research with higher stakes and known interaction partners is needed to further probe the effects of suspiciousness.

Social Support and Resilience as Predictors of Prosocial Behaviors before and during COVID-19.

: IntroductionThe objective of this research was to analyze the relationship between social support and resilience with prosocial behavior before and during the confinement caused by COVID-19. Materials and Methods: The participants were divided into a confined group (228 women and 84 men) and an unconfined group (153 women and 105 men), all of whom were university students. Instruments were applied to measure the variables proposed. Results: Social support predicted 24.4% of the variance in prosocial behavior among women and 12% among men in the confined group; no evidence of this relationship was found in the unconfined groups. Resilience predicted 7% of the variance in prosocial behavior among confined women, 8.4% among confined men, 8.8% among unconfined women, and 5.1% in unconfined men. Discussion and Conclusion: The results show the importance of social support and resilience in prosocial behaviors, which are key elements for the proper functioning of society, especially in the face of a crisis such as COVID-19.

Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor of Prosocial Behaviors in Spanish and Colombian Older Adults Based on Path Models.

Emotional intelligence (EI), empathy, and prosocial behavior (PB) are widely studied in the early stages of life, up to adolescence. However, there have been few studies in older adults. Using a multivariate methodology, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were applied with structural equation models (SEM) in 271 older adults in Colombia, along with a Spanish sample made up of 139 adults over 60 years of age, for a total sample of 411 older adults. The results confirmed that EI, as measured with the WLEIS, scale is the best predictor of PB, with excellent adjustment criteria (GFI = 0.99; CFI = 0.98; RMSEA = 0.064; PCLOSE = 0.28; SRMR = 0.023; AIC = 57.30). It is concluded that the path model yielded a reliable predictive explanation of PB, including EI as a key variable that explains prosocial tendencies.

Predicción en estudiantes universitarios de la Conducta prosocial y de la penalización de actos como faltas y delitos, a partir de la empatía

Empathy is the ability of a person to feel identified with something or someone and, if it is the case, share their feelings. This capacity could influence behaviors that involve a moral component, such as prosocial behavior and the criminalization of faults and crimes. The objective was to test a model of interaction of variables according to which empathy would act as an independent variable and prosocial behavior and the criminalization of faults and crimes would act as dependent variables. These variables were measured in a sample of 180 university students with an average age of 20.05 years ( SD = 1.83). The results showed a good adjustment with the theoretical model proposed: X 2 (1) = .82 ( p = .37), as well as adequate adjustment and adjustment error indices: GFI = .998; AGFI = .973; CFI = 1; RMR = .002 and RMSEA = .000. Empathy is shown as a good predictor of prosocial behavior and the criminalization of faults and crimes. The results conclude that the proposed theoretical model is correct and empathy is predictive of the two dependent variables. This implies that enhancing the empathic capacity of people will reduce the risk of them carrying out antisocial behaviors.

Moral perfectionism and online prosocial behavior: The mediating role of moral identity and the moderating role of online interpersonal trust

Recent studies have shown that moral perfectionism is related to moral judgments and moral values, which are predictors of prosocial behavior. However, few studies have focused on the relation between moral perfectionism and online prosocial behavior or the underlying mechanisms connecting the relation. The present study examined whether moral identity mediates the association between moral perfectionism and online prosocial behavior, and whether online interpersonal trust moderates the association between moral identity and online prosocial behavior. A sample of 790 university students (mean age = 20.10 years, SD = 1.64) from two universities participated in our study. Results showed that, after controlling for gender, Internet age, and daily online time use, moral identity partially mediated the association between moral perfectionism and online prosocial behavior. Moreover, online interpersonal trust moderated the association between moral identity and online prosocial behavior. Specifically, the association between moral identity and online prosocial behavior was significant for participants with high online interpersonal trust; however, it become nonsignificant for participants with low online interpersonal trust. Findings of the current study highlight the significance of identifying the mechanisms that moderate the mediating association between moral perfectionism and online prosocial behavior.

Considering Racial Attitudes and Empathic Concern as Predictors of Prosocial Behaviors Among Emerging Adults

The goal of the current study was to examine the role of racial attitudes, empathic concern, and prosocial behaviors among emerging adults. Research linking racial attitudes to emerging adults’ moral development and prosocial behaviors is limited, and therefore the current study aimed to assess the interrelations among racial attitudes and empathic concern and links to two forms of prosocial behaviors. The sample included 202 young adults (M age = 20.94 years; 76.5% women; 67.5% reported identifying as racially White) who reported on their racial attitudes, empathic concern, and prosocial behaviors at Time 1 and on their tendency to engage in two forms of prosocial behaviors at Time 2. Results demonstrated links between both racial attitudes and empathic concern predicting specific forms of prosocial behaviors over time. Additionally, racial attitudes and empathic concern interacted to predict changes in selfless helping behaviors. The current study has implications for practitioners such that promoting color-conscious racial attitudes and empathic concern simultaneously is important for shaping selfless helping behaviors.

Empathy as a predictor of prosocial behavior and the perceived seriousness of delinquent acts: a cross-cultural comparison of Argentina and Spain

ABSTRACT Empathy is relevant to sociomoral development, especially in relation to prosociality and the penalization of acts as faults and crimes (sociomoral judgment). The objective of this research was to test whether empathy is a predictor of prosociality and of perceptions of seriousness of delinquent acts among research participants in Argentina and Spain. The Argentinian sample comprised 215 high school and university students (67 males; average age 18.57, SD = 0.81). The Spanish sample comprised 199 university students (50 males; average age 20.48, SD = 2.75). The proposed theoretical model showed good fit in both countries. Although empathy was found to predict prosocial conduct more than the perception of the seriousness acts as offenses and crimes, empathy was a significant of both prosocial conduct and perception of the seriousness acts as faults and crimes. Thus, the importance of empathy in morality was supported for both countries, supporting the influence of in different cultural context.

The Impact of Social Identity and Empathy on Helping Behavior: The Moderator Role of Empathy

Social identity, empathy and helping behavior are some of the most interesting topics in psychology. It is the volunteer behavior which is shown to meet the needs of an individual is called helping behavior. Also empathy, which is one of the best predictors of prosocial behaviors, is that the individual expresses this situation by understanding feelings and thoughts. Aim of this studies are to examine the relationship between social identity, empathy and helping behavior. The sample group of the study consisted of university students in Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University. In an experimental study, social identity manipulation was carried out in two different ways: Turkish and Syrian group. In order to measure the empathy scores of the participants, Basic Empathy Scale (TEO) was used. In the first study, the helping behavior was measured by the Help Text prepared by the researchers; in the second study, the participants were given the participant fee and the helping behaviors were measured by asking the amount of financial aid if they would give to UNICEF. When the findings were examined, only the helping behavior differed from the group according to the social identity in the first study, while in the second study that the helping behavior and empathy scores of the participants differed significantly between the groups. In addition, in both studies, empathy had a moderator role in the impact of social identity on helping behavior. lt is adviced that research design can be tested with other samples. Key Words: Social identity, empathy, helping behavior, prosocial behavior. DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/5-12-35

Parents or Peers? Predictors of Prosocial Behavior and Aggression: A Longitudinal Study

The aim of this longitudinal study was to determine the associations among peer attachment, warmth from the mother and father, strict control by the mother and father, prosocial behavior, and physical and verbal aggression in adolescence. Few longitudinal studies have examined how peer attachment and parenting styles of the mother and father relate to prosocial behavior and aggression. Participants were 192 boys and 255 girls (M = 14.70 years; SD = 0.68) in wave 1. In the study participated 11 schools. For three successive years, participants reported on their fathers’ and mothers’ warmth and strict control, peer attachment, prosocial behavior, and aggression. Structural equations modeling was employed to explore two longitudinal models. Results show the influence of the mother and father on prosocial and aggression during adolescence. In addition, strong peer attachment predicted prosocial behavior in subsequent years. Therefore, the findings indicate that despite the increasingly important role of friends during the transition from childhood to adolescence, parenting styles play a key role in the personal and social development of their children. Programs aimed at preventing aggression should be designed considering the importance of stimulating and strengthening prosocial behavior, peer attachment and a family environment of affect, support and communication.

National Culture of Indulgence as Predictor of Prosocial Behavior: Governmental Effectiveness as Boundary Condition

Previous studies of national culture and prosocial behaviors have been limited to Hofstede’s five traditional culture dimensions. We introduce the fairly new and less studied cultural dimension of indulgence versus restraint (IVR) as a predictor of prosocial behaviors. We tested the effect of IVR on prosocial behavior over Hofstede’s previously studied dimensions. We also tested the moderating effect of government effectiveness on the relationship between indulgence and prosocial behavior. We crossed data for cultural dimensions from Hofstede with data from the world-giving index for prosocial behavior and data for government effectiveness from the World Bank. In total, eighty-seven countries entered our model. Indulgence predicted volunteering above the other researched cultural dimensions. It did not predict helping a stranger or donating. Among the cultural dimensions, only uncertainty avoidance was also significant in the prediction of volunteering. Uncertainty avoidance was the only cultural dimension that predicted donating. Individualism was not significant in the prediction of prosocial behaviors. Long-term orientation was the only cultural dimension that predicted helping a stranger (but not volunteering and donating) over other researched cultural dimensions. We found that government effectiveness is a boundary condition to the link between indulgent cultures and two prosocial behaviors (donating and helping a stranger but not for volunteering). Our results indicate that only in countries with high government effectiveness does indulgence predict prosocial behaviors, and not in cultures with low government effectiveness.

Hope, Self-Efficacy, Prosocial and Aggressive Behavior, and the Anger and Frustration Scale for Mexican Drivers

Hope, Self-Efficacy, Prosocial and Aggressive Behavior, and the Anger and Frustration Scale for Mexican Drivers Gabriel Dorantes Argandar, Erika Anaí Cerda Macedo, Javier Ferrero Berlanga Abstract This study aims to determine how these variables determine the prevalence of prosocial and aggressive behaviors in Mexican drivers. Afirst sample of 444 drivers in the city of Cuernavaca, in the state of Morelos, in the central region of Mexico was examined. It was found that the relationship between Hope and Self-Efficacy is incredibly strong, and that they are both, as a system, predictors of Prosocial Behavior. However, Aggressive Behavior was found to negatively predict all three of the other variables, but in a weak manner. A second sample of 316 individuals confirmed these findings, and also determined that the manner in which a person behaves determines his or her negative emotions. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jpbs.v7n2a4

Personality and prosociality: Incremental validity of the Dark Triad over HEXACO model

Prosocial behavior covers the broad range of actions intended to benefit others rather than oneself. Research related to dispositional determinants of prosocial behavior showed that the best predictor of prosocial behavior is personality trait Honesty-Humility (HH) represented in the HEXACO model. The low pole of the HH was found to be essentially identical to the common core of the Dark Triad (DT ; i.e. Machiavellianism, subclinical narcissism and psychopathy), which has been linked to callousness, exploitation and manipulation, as well as antisocial behavior. Given the substantial overlap between the HH and the DT traits, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between prosocial tendencies and the “good” and the “bad” traits, comparing their contributions in predicting prosociality. Data was collected within a larger on-line survey on 689 students from various universities in Croatia (552 female and 137 male), and all variables were assessed via self-report measures (Prosocial Personality Battery, HEXACO-60, and Short Dark Triad). Results of the hierarchical regression analyses showed that the “bad” traits explain prosociality above and beyond the “good” traits as well as the whole HEXACO model, emphasizing the importance of the DT in the personality space.

Predictors of prosocial behavior: Differences in middle aged and older adults

Generativity, contributing to the next generation, is important for well-being throughout middle and late life. Therefore, it is crucial to understand what contributes to generativity during these life stages. Parenting and work are common, but not the only, ways people engage generatively; prosocial behavior is another. A community connection may encourage generative contributions in adults. However, older adults may face obstacles to being generative, and may need an additional drive to engage in these behaviors. Given this, it was expected that community cohesion would predict prosocial behavior despite age, and that grit would provide motivation for older adults, so the current study examined whether age moderated the relation between grit and prosocial behavior. Data were used from 188 upper-Midwest adults (aged 37–89). Multiple regression analyses showed that age moderated the relation between grit and prosocial behavior such that grit predicted prosocial behavior in older adults but not middle age adults. A sense of community cohesion was predictive of prosocial behavior despite age. While grit may promote generative acts in different ways depending on age, a sense of community cohesion may foster community contributions despite age. The discussion focuses on future directions and ways to promote generativity using this research.

Developmental Trajectories and Predictors of Prosocial Behavior Among Adolescents Exposed to the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake

This longitudinal study examined the developmental trajectories of prosocial behavior and related predictors among adolescents exposed to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. At 6-, 18-, and 30-months postearthquake, we followed a sample of 1,573 adolescents. Self-report measures were used to assess earthquake exposure, postearthquake negative life events, prosocial behavior, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, social support, and coping style. Data were analyzed using growth mixture modeling and multinomial logistic regressions. Four trajectories of postearthquake prosocial behavior were identified in the sample: (a) high/enhancing (35.0%), (b) high/stable (29.4%), (c) low/declining (33.6%), and (d) low/steeply declining (2.0%). Female gender, more social support, and greater positive coping were significant factors related to a higher probability of developing the high/enhancing trajectory. These findings may be helpful for us to identify adolescents with poor prosocial behavior after exposure to earthquakes so as to provide them with appropriate intervention.

Individual differences in toddlers' social understanding and prosocial behavior: disposition or socialization?

We examined how individual differences in social understanding contribute to variability in early-appearing prosocial behavior. Moreover, potential sources of variability in social understanding were explored and examined as additional possible predictors of prosocial behavior. Using a multi-method approach with both observed and parent-report measures, 325 children aged 18–30 months were administered measures of social understanding (e.g., use of emotion words; self-understanding), prosocial behavior (in separate tasks measuring instrumental helping, empathic helping, and sharing, as well as parent-reported prosociality at home), temperament (fearfulness, shyness, and social fear), and parental socialization of prosocial behavior in the family. Individual differences in social understanding predicted variability in empathic helping and parent-reported prosociality, but not instrumental helping or sharing. Parental socialization of prosocial behavior was positively associated with toddlers’ social understanding, prosocial behavior at home, and instrumental helping in the lab, and negatively associated with sharing (possibly reflecting parents’ increased efforts to encourage children who were less likely to share). Further, socialization moderated the association between social understanding and prosocial behavior, such that social understanding was less predictive of prosocial behavior among children whose parents took a more active role in socializing their prosociality. None of the dimensions of temperament was associated with either social understanding or prosocial behavior. Parental socialization of prosocial behavior is thus an important source of variability in children’s early prosociality, acting in concert with early differences in social understanding, with different patterns of influence for different subtypes of prosocial behavior.