Adolescent Prosocial Behavior Research Articles

The Developmental Trajectories of Prosocial Behavior in Adolescence: a Growth-Mixture Model

The Developmental Trajectories of Prosocial Behavior in Adolescence: a Growth-Mixture Model

The relationship between positive parenting and adolescent prosocial behaviour: The mediating role of empathy and the moderating role of the oxytocin receptor gene

<p id=p00005>Prosocial behaviour, that is, behaviour intended to benefit others, has been linked to a variety of desirable traits, including positive relationships, better academic performance and lower levels of antisocial behaviours. As such, the origins and the mechanisms underlying the remarkable individual differences in prosocial behaviour are the focus of an increasing number of studies, with numerous research consistently documenting the important role of positive parenting and empathy. Notably, differentiating between cognitive and emotional components of empathy may help further clarify the processes by which parenting eventuates in prosocial behaviour. Although all children may be impacted by parenting, some children benefit more than others from good-quality rearing. Recent research has suggested that the oxytocin receptor (<italic>OXTR</italic>) gene rs53576 polymorphism could determine the degree to which a child is influenced by environment. The biological function of rs53576 polymorphism has yet to be delineated, and the literature is mixed with regard to heterozygote (AG) grouping; thus, the implications for AG grouping are not well understood. Therefore, the dummy coding, additive coding, dominant coding and recessive coding models were all investigated in this study to test the nature of gene effect. This study aimed to extend previous studies on the association between parenting and prosocial behaviour by examining the mediating role of cognitive and emotional empathy and the moderating role of the <italic>OXTR</italic> gene. <p id=p00010>The participants were 1082 mother-offspring dyads (adolescents’ mean age: 12.32 ± 0.48 years, 50.3% females) recruited from the community. At Time 1, mothers reported their positive parenting via the Chinese version of the Child-Rearing Practices Report (CRPR) and peer-rated adolescents’ prosocial behaviours. At Time 2, adolescent-reported perspective-taking and empathic concern, peer-rated prosocial behaviours and saliva samples were collected. All measures showed good reliability. Genotyping at <italic>OXTR</italic> gene was performed with MassARRAY RT software version 3.0.0.4 and analysed using the MassARRAY Typer software version 3.4 (Sequenom). <p id=p00015>Results showed that adolescents who received higher levels of maternal positive parenting exhibited more prosocial behaviours. However, the direct effect of positive parenting on prosocial behaviour became nonsignificant after controlling for baseline prosocial behaviour. Cognitive empathy, but not emotional empathy, mediated the association between positive parenting and prosocial behaviour. Specifically, positive parenting was positively associated with cognitive empathy, which in turn was positively associated with adolescent prosocial behaviour. Further, this mediation was moderated by the <italic>OXTR</italic> gene rs53576 polymorphism. For adolescents with AA and GG genotypes, positive parenting was related to higher levels of cognitive empathy, which increased prosocial behaviour. However, this mediation effect was not observed among adolescents with AG genotype. In addition, the results revealed evidence for an overdominance model for <italic>OXTR</italic> rs53576. Moreover, the G × E term predicted cognitive empathy but not prosocial behaviour. This finding suggests that cognitive empathy may be an endophenotype closer along the causal chain to the genotype and that the strength of the G × E effects was greater for empathy than for distal behavioural outcomes. <p id=p00020>These findings add to our understanding of how empathy and genetic factors contribute to adolescents’ prosocial behaviour within the family context. In addition, these results suggest that cognitive and emotional aspects of empathy are likely to be involved—in somewhat different psychosocial mechanisms—in the development of prosocial behaviour. Notably, the overdominance effect of <italic>OXTR</italic> should be interpreted with caution until replicated. However, when a three-category polymorphic genotype is used, as is commonly applied when modelling a dominant or recessive effect, both false positive and false negative results can occur, and the nature of the interaction can be misrepresented.

Effect of Parenting Style on Prosocial Behavior of Adolescents

Adolescence is a stage where both negative and positive behaviors emerge. Prosocial habits, on the other hand, are beneficial behaviors that become more prevalent in adolescents. Several family attributes have been linked to the growth for Prosocial as well as antisocial behavior between adolescents. The goal of Prosocial behavior would be to form supportive, compassionate, collaborative, and socially conscious relationships in order to support others. Prosocial behavior nurtures optimistic characteristics that benefit both adolescents and society. Present research looked to determine the connection among parenting style & Prosocial behaviour. Methods and Materials: The present research is a quantitative, descriptive, relational in nature. T-test had been used to determine the disparity between girls and boys in terms of Prosocial activity. The study was conducted to check parenting style and its types and understanding the effect of parenting style on adolescent’s Prosocial behavior. The study’s sample size was 162, with 81 parents including 81 adolescents aged 13 to 19 participants. Simple Random sampling technique was adopted. The study adopted normative survey method. Data was collected through questionnaires, an online survey via Google forms. The population of the study was parents and adolescents in the state of Delhi. The tools used for collecting data were PAQ-R the PS (Arnold et al., 1993) 30 items-five-point rating scale on parenting style and its types and Inventory of Strengths Scale (Peterson & Seligman, et al 2004) 18 items-five-point rating scale on Adolescents Prosocial Behavior. Result: Study findings revealed that there is a significant correlation between parenting style & Prosocial behavior (r=0.739, p

Deviant behaviour of adolescents as a manifestation of individual anomie: Social and gender aspects of the problem

Introduction. The present paper continues the line of research related to the various forms of anomie in Russian society. In the proposed study, individual forms of anomie manifestation are considered on the example of deviant behaviour of adolescents (students aged 13-17 years old) depending on the gender and mechanisms of its perception by teachers of educational institutions (mental representation of the phenomenon).The aim of the research is to identify the main forms of individual anomie (as deviant behaviour of adolescents) from the standpoint of the teachers' perceptions of student behavior (mental representation of the behaviour of adolescents, depending on the factor of their gender and deviant / prosocial type of behaviour).Methodology and research methods. To obtain sociological data, the following methods were used: questionnaire survey, focused interview, testing. Further, the obtained results were processed by mathematical processing methods (the Fisher analysis of variance (type III SS, polynomial effect)). The influence and interaction of gender factors and the type of deviant/ prosocial behaviour in adolescents (through the mental representation of this phenomenon by teachers of educational organisations) were considered. The current research involved 1643 students aged from 13 to 17 years old and 832 teachers.Results and scientific novelty. As a result of the conducted research, it was determined that the most pronounced forms of deviant behaviour of modern adolescents in the perception of teachers of educational organisations are smoking and absenteeism. This deviant behaviour of adolescents aged 13-17 years old can be considered as the manifestation of individual anomie (in the perception of teachers as “abnormal”). The structure of adolescents' deviant behaviour in the “deviant” group differs more from the structure of adolescents' behaviour in the “prosocial” group. The gender factor of the research participants has a significant impact on the structure of teachers' perception of the behaviour of adolescents in the group of “deviant” and “prosocial” types of behaviour.The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that for the first time the authors of the study considered the deviant behaviour of adolescents as the manifestation of individual anomie. Moreover, for the first time, the authors investigated the structure of deviant behaviour of adolescents aged 13-17 years old (with differentiation by gender) and identified the features of the “norm” of behaviour of adolescents in the Russian Federation in the perception of teachers of educational organisations. This allows us to identify the system-forming factors, which influence the attribution of adolescent behaviour to the category of “norm/normality” (as manifestations of anomie), and to consider the mechanisms of teachers' mental representation of the “deviant/prosocial” type of student behaviour, depending on gender.

The effects of adolescent prosocial behavior interventions: a meta-analytic review

This meta-analytic review examined the effectiveness of the interventions for promoting adolescents’ prosocial behavior, and aimed to explain variability in the effectiveness. Thirty-three studies that used interventions for prosociality targeting adolescents and compared with a control group or had a pre-post comparison were included in the analyses. Across all the studies, the prosocial behavior interventions for adolescents had a small, beneficial effect on promoting prosocial behavior (g = 0.442; 95% CI [0.240, 0.644]). The results of moderator analyses showed that the interventions designed to increase social competence had a larger effect than those seeking to prevent problem behavior, and that the interventions that used reports by others had a larger effect than those using self-reports. These findings indicated that the prosocial behavior interventions promoted adolescents’ prosocial behavior, but with a small effect, and that the effectiveness varied depending on the objectives of intervention and the measurement types. However, this result seemed to be slightly influenced by publication bias, thus the interpretations of the results should be careful. Directions for future research and implications for educators implementing prosocial behavior interventions during adolescence are discussed.

PEER GROUP COUNSELING IN IMPROVING PROSIAL BEHAVIOR OF ADOLESCENT IN SURABAYA

Introduction: Social problems that occur in adolescent students lead to anti-social behavior. Antisocial behavior is a disorder of adjustment to the social environment caused by weak self-control. The purpose of this community service is to provide knowledge and abilities to junior high school students as peer counselors so that they can develop adolescent prosocial behavior and can prevent antisocial behavior.Methods: The method used in this community service activity is training with the method of lectures and discussions on peer counseling, prosocial behavior in adolescents, and skills as a peer counselor. A total of 40 people consisting of selected students, counseling teachers, and person in charge of students participated in this activity and also carried out an evaluation of adolescent prosocial behavior through the pretest and posttest.Results: The results obtained through this activity are that there is an increase in the knowledge and attitudes of adolescents in developing prosocial behavior. This is because the method of lectures, discussions, through training modules can provide a clear technical picture so that participants know and can practice their abilities as peer counselors in improving prosocial behavior of junior high school adolescents.Conclusion: It is hoped that the next community service activity can achieve a wider target and a diverse community.

Can Self-compassion Promote Gratitude and Prosocial Behavior in Adolescents? A 3-Year Longitudinal Study from China

Self-compassion refers to a positive and healthy self-attitude in times of distress and life difficulties. Abundant research has shown that self-compassion robustly contributes to adolescents’ psychological well-being. Recent research has begun to discuss the interpersonal and social benefits of self-compassion. This study examined whether and how self-compassion would be longitudinally associated with two significant other-oriented constructs: gratitude and prosocial behavior. Using a three-wave longitudinal design, a large sample of Chinese adolescents (Time 3, N = 1026; Mage = 14.41, SDage = 0.59) was measured annually at three time points. We employed both a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) and a random intercepts cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) to investigate the longitudinal associations between self-compassion, gratitude, and prosocial behavior at both between-person and within-person levels. Both the CLPM and RI-CLPM suggested that self-compassion positively predicted gratitude and prosocial behavior over time. The CLPM indicated that gratitude and prosocial behavior were bidirectionally related to each other at the between-person level, while the RI-CLPM did not find a significant longitudinal association between them at the within-person level. Also at the between-person level, the CLPM further suggested that gratitude mediated the longitudinal relation between self-compassion and prosocial behavior, while prosocial behavior mediated the relationship between self-compassion and gratitude. This study enriches understanding of the adaptive functions of self-compassion for adolescents’ social development. Self-compassion is not selfish but rather enhances feelings of gratitude toward other people and promotes the development of prosocial behavior.

Hubungan Antara Perkembangan Moral dengan Perilaku Prososial Pada Remaja di Perguruan Ki Hajar Dewantara Kotapinang

The purpose of this study was to look at the relationship between moral development and prosocial behavior in adolescents. The dependent variable in this study was prosocial behavior and the independent variable Moral Development. The population in this study were all students of class X SMK Ki Hajar Dewanatara Kotapinang, amounting to 392 samples in this study as many as 70 students / I of Ki Hajar Dewantara college Kotapinang. The sampling technique used purposive sampling. Measuring instruments used are the Moral Development scale and Prosocial Behavior scale using a Likert scale. Data management in this study uses Pearson product moment correlation techniques. The results of the study showed a correlation of 0.825 with p &lt;0.000, this means there is a significant positive correlation between moral development and prosocial behavior. This means that the better the moral development, the higher the prosocial behavior, on the contrary the worse the moral development is the prosocial behavior. The determinant coefficient of the correlation is R2 = 0.681, which means that moral development contributes effectively to prosocial behavior by 68%, while the remaining 31.9%. mood. The hypothetical mean in this study for the moral development variable was 65 and for the prosocial behavior variable was 65. The empirical mean for moral development was 86.86 and the prosocial behavior was 85.51.

Examining the predictors of prosocial behavior in young offenders and nonoffenders

Research on young offenders has primarily focused on identifying predictors of the maladaptive, aggressive behavior; there is a scarcity of evidence on factors that relate to prosocial behavior in these adolescents. The current study examined the link from parenting, emotional instability, and prosocial reasoning to prosocial behavior, while also examining the mediating roles of empathic concern (EC) and perspective taking (PT) in a sample of Spanish adolescent offenders compared to a sample of nonoffenders. Participants were 440 adolescents: 220 young offenders residing in four Youth Detention Centres of Valencia (67.3% men) and 220 enrolled in public and private schools within the metropolitan area of Valencia (65.9% men). The two subsamples were similar in age (15−18 years), gender, and social class. Analyses show differences in mother’s permissiveness with empathy (PT and EC), in emotional instability and internalized reasoning with PT in predicting prosocial behavior in offenders and nonoffenders adolescents. EC and PT are significative and positively related to prosocial behavior in both groups. These findings have implications for prevention and reeducation interventions oriented to social reinsertion of adolescent offenders and the development of family and social counseling programs that favor adaptive behavior.

Father-Child Relations Mediate the Relations Between Paternal Expressiveness and Adolescent Behaviors

Emotional expressiveness is an important type of parental emotion-related socialization that has been associated with adolescent prosocial and problem behaviors; yet little is known about the relation between paternal emotional expressiveness and adolescent behaviors in the Chinese context. In this study, we investigated how paternal emotional expressiveness was associated with Chinese adolescent prosocial and problem behaviors and whether father-adolescent closeness and conflict mediated these associations when controlling for maternal influences. Participants were 166 adolescents (aged between 12 and 16; 53% males) and their parents in Mainland China. Fathers and mothers reported their positive and negative emotional expressiveness in the family, the closeness and conflict in their relationships with adolescents, and adolescent prosocial and problem behaviors. Results revealed that paternal negative emotional expressiveness was directly and positively related to adolescent problem behaviors, controlling for maternal emotional expressiveness and mother-adolescent relationship. Moreover, both paternal positive and negative emotional expressiveness were indirectly associated with adolescent problem behaviors through father-adolescent conflict, controlling for maternal influences. In the same model, paternal positive and negative emotional expressiveness were not related to father-adolescent closeness, but father-adolescent closeness was positively related to adolescent prosocial behaviors. An alternative model examining whether father-adolescent relationship was related to paternal emotional expressiveness, which in turn was related to adolescent behaviors was tested. Results showed that the hypothesized model fit the data better than the alternative model. Findings highlight the role that the father plays in Chinese adolescent behaviors by expressing positive and negative emotions within the family.

The influence of implicit social pressure on prosocial behavior of adolescents

Adolescents are easily influenced by their peers, resulting in a phenomenon known as social pressure, which can have both positive and negative effects on the teens. This study addresses the influence of implicit social pressure on prosocial behavior (e.g., voluntary acts that benefit someone else) in adolescents aged 12–19. Specifically, this experiment measured the influence of prosocial, neutral, and antisocial pressure on sharing. This study consisted of 2 parts, part 1 (N = 101) and part 2 (N = 16). In a game similar to a dictator game, participants divided money between themselves and four teammates with whom they did a school project. Participants received manipulated social pressure by showing an example of how the money can be divided. We hypothesized that participants would share more after receiving implicit prosocial pressure, and that girls would share more than boys. Our results indicate that there was no difference in the way participants divided the money in the prosocial, neutral, and antisocial condition. In addition, there was also no statistically significant difference between boys and girls. These findings may implicate that implicit social pressure has no influence on adolescents’ behavior. However, methodological and contextual factors like the COVID-19 pandemic need to be considered.

THE STATE OF ADOLESCENT PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND ITS IMPACT: A SURVEY IN INDONESIAN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Prosocial behavior is carried out by individuals who care about their environment. Concern for the environment makes individuals easy to move to help others. This study aims to determine the condition of adolescent prosocial behavior and the impact that will be felt by adolescents who are accustomed to prosocial behavior. This study uses a quantitative method with a survey approach in senior high schools in the city of Cirebon, West Java, Indonesia. The study population was Cirebon high school students. The sample consisted of 225 students consisting of 50 male students and 175 female students. The results of the analysis showed that the condition of adolescent prosocial behavior was in the medium category. The latest findings in this study are: the highest aspect that students have in prosocial behavior is the aspect of empathy, the guilt aspect is the medium category aspect, while the responsibility aspect is the lowest aspect. The impact that will be felt by adolescents who are accustomed to prosocial behavior will have happiness so that they can have a meaningful life.

Paternal coparenting behavior and adolescent prosocial behaviors: Roles of parent-child attachment, peer attachment, and gender

Based on family system theory and the internal working model of attachment, this study explored how and when paternal coparenting behavior is related to adolescent prosocial behaviors. Eight hundred and ninety Chinese adolescents from nuclear families filled out questionnaires regarding paternal coparenting behavior, prosocial behaviors, father-child attachment, mother-child attachment, and peer attachment. Results showed that (1) Positive paternal coparenting behavior (coparenting integrity and consistency) was positively associated with adolescent prosocial behaviors, while negative paternal coparenting behavior (coparenting conflict and bias) was not significantly associated with adolescent prosocial behaviors; (2) Coparenting integrity was positively related to father-child attachment, while coparenting conflict was negatively related to father-child attachment, which supported spillover effect in family system; coparenting integrity and consistency were both positively related to mother-child attachment, while coparenting conflict was negatively related to mother-child attachment, which supported crossover effect in family system; (3) Mother-child attachment and peer attachment sequentially mediated the association between coparenting integrity and adolescent prosocial behaviors only for girls but not boys; (4) Peer attachment mediated the association between coparenting consistency and prosocial behaviors in both boy and girl groups. The results stressed the role of positive paternal coparenting behaviors in adolescent prosocial behaviors and encouraged to enhance the coparenting practice to foster adolescent positive development.

Emotional and behavioural difficulties and prosocial behaviour in adolescents: A latent profile analysis

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to identify homogenous subgroups of adolescents with emotional and behavioural difficulties using latent profile analysis. The relationship between the latent profile classes and socio-emotional and school adjustment was also analysed. Materials and methodsA total of 1506 students, 667 men (44.3%) were selected by random cluster sampling. The mean age was 16.15 years (SD=1.36). The instruments used were the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Personal Wellbeing Index-School Version, The 10-item Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children, the Prodromal Questionnaire-Brief, the Paykel Suicide Scale, the Cyberbullying-Brief Questionnaire, the Penn Matrix Reasoning Test, and the school performance assessment. ResultsA total of 7.7% of adolescents obtained risk scores for mental health difficulties. We identified 3 mental health subgroups named: Low risk, Externalizing, and Internalizing. These 3 latent classes demonstrated a differential pattern in terms of socio-emotional adjustment and academic performance. ConclusionsTo identify and validate risk groups of youths for emotional and behavioural problems allows implementing measures to promote emotional well-being and prevent mental health problems. Future studies should continue to analyse young people with emotional and behavioural problems longitudinally and to incorporate new forms of assessment and intervention.

Beyond the dual hormone hypothesis: Understanding risky and prosocial behavior in adolescence

Beyond the dual hormone hypothesis: Understanding risky and prosocial behavior in adolescence

부모의 양육행동이 청소년기 친사회적 행동과 공격적 행동에 미치는 영향 - 유대감과 역량의 매개효과를 중심으로 -

부모의 양육행동이 청소년기 친사회적 행동과 공격적 행동에 미치는 영향 - 유대감과 역량의 매개효과를 중심으로 -

The role of attribution in adolescent prosocial behavior

La prosocialidad comprende aquellas conductas intencionales que se realizan para el beneficio de otras personas. Entre las variables que tienen una incidencia en la decisión de ayudar, se incluyen los patrones atribucionales: interpretaciones que se realizan sobre las causas de un determinado acontecimiento. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el rol que tiene la atribución que un individuo realiza sobre una situación de potencial ayuda en la elicitación de la conducta prosocial. A partir de un muestreo intencional, no probabilístico, participaron 359 adolescentes de clase media, de una institución privada de la provincia de Córdoba, Argentina. Se aplicó la Escala de Conducta Prosocial Adolescente y, para la evaluación del estilo atribucional ligado a las conductas de ayuda, se redactaron cuatro situaciones con el objetivo de identificar la atribución causal predominante. Se realizó un ANOVA unifactorial para conocer si la conducta prosocial presenta una variabilidad en función del estilo atribucional. Se encontró que la puntuación promedio de conducta prosocial obtenida por los sujetos con un patrón atribucional externo incontrolable fue significativamente superior al de quienes presentaron un estilo atribucional neutro e interno controlable. Estos hallazgos aportan evidencias a favor de que la conducta es influida por patrones de atribuciones causales. Estos resultados se encuentran en concordancia con estudios previos, los cuales encontraron que las representaciones dinámicas y los modelos mentales sustentados en las propias creencias sobre el mundo, más que los hechos en sí, ejercen un control sobre las acciones que se llevan a cabo.

Representation of Well-Being / Ill-Being of the Modern Russian Family and Student Behaviour: The Phenomenon of Teachers’ Reflection

Introduction. The relevance of this study is determined by the increasing role of the interaction of the educational organisation and the family in the process of students’ education. In the current study, the relationship between the modern Russian family and teachers are considered through the prism of the concept of “social representation”, which is interpreted as a subjective representation of teachers about the family of students in terms of certain attitudes towards the family. The students’ demonstrated behaviour was selected as one of the factors influencing social representation of the family through its perception by teachers from the standpoint of well-being / ill-being.The aim of the present research is to consider the phenomenon of social representation of the family through its perception by teachers from the standpoint of well-being / ill-being as a reflection of the demonstrated “prosocial / deviant” form of behaviour among students in grades 7–11.Methodology and research methods. As the main research methodology, a systematic approach to the phenomenon under consideration was used, within the framework of which the relationships and the influence of the factor of perception by teachers of the family (functional / dysfunctional) and their attitude to the demonstrated behaviour of the adolescent (deviant / prosocial) were considered. The collection of empirical material was based on a comprehensive author’s sociological study conducted by the authors in the period 2017–2019 in the Sverdlovsk region. A questionnaire survey, focused interviews and testing were used as the methods for collecting sociological information. The collection of primary sociological information was carried out by questionnaire survey among students in grades 7-11 and their class teachers, as well as by conducting focused interviews with teachers, who are class teachers in grades 7–11. The survey of teachers was carried out using Internet technologies (online). A secondary analysis of sociological data was conducted using mathematical statistics (in terms of correlation and analysis of variance ANOVA / VANOVA) using tools MS Excel, IBM SPSS, Statistic for Windows 5.5.Results. The authors found out the discrepancies between the social representation by teachers of the educational organisation of family perception and the transfer of teachers’ ideas about the state of the family to the perception of the behaviour of adolescents 13-17 years old (as deviant or prosocial). In the course of the analysis of the obtained data, it was determined that the teachers’ perception of the student’s family as functional / dysfunctional is determined by their social ideas based on the attitudes of the professional group through the dominance of such signs of well-being as complete / incomplete family, parents’ education, employment and their material security. It was also determined that the backbone factor of family well-being in the teachers’ picture of the world is the interaction of the family and the school. The higher the levels of family interaction with the school, the more educators evaluate this family as functional. At the same time, the inconsistency of these attitudes of teachers was revealed. The models of representations by teachers of a functional, dysfunctional and semi-functional family on the basis of empirical data are described.Scientific novelty. For the first time, the authors of the present publication have analysed the state of the modern Russian family in the terms of social representation and the definition of its well-being / ill-being through the prism of perception by educators of the student and his or her inner circle. The characteristics of a functional and dysfunctional family are described based on the teachers’ representations and the manifestation of deviation or prosocial behaviour in adolescents 13-17 years old.Practical significance. The authors make an attempt to take into account the errors in the perception by teachers of adolescents 13-17 years old, who exhibit deviant / prosocial behaviour, and representations of their families. Taking these errors into account makes it possible to identify “errors” in the educational work of educational organisations based on the provision of real assistance to the family and students. The essence and relevance of the correction of teachers of educational organisations when compiling a “family image” are scientifically proven (with the exception of the professional community’s orientation on the dominance of the factors of well-being / ill-being). The directions of the development of the educational activities of educational organisations are determined, taking into account the erroneous perception by teachers of families and the further prevention of deviant behaviour of students aged 13-17.

Direct and indirect effects of parental involvement, deviant peer affiliation, and school connectedness on prosocial behaviors in U.S. Latino/a youth

Parental involvement has been associated with increased adolescent prosocial behaviors, but we know little about the peer and school-level explanatory mechanisms behind these associations. The current study aimed to examine the intervening roles of deviant peer affiliation and school connectedness in links between parental involvement and prosocial behaviors among U.S. Latino/a adolescents. Participants included 306 U.S. Latino/a adolescents ( Mage = 15.50 years, SD = .42 years, 46% girls, 81.0% U.S. Mexican) from communities in the Northern Great Plains, who reported on parental involvement, deviant peer affiliation, school connectedness, and prosocial behaviors. Path analyses showed that parental involvement was directly and indirectly related to prosocial behaviors via both deviant peer affiliation and school connectedness. Parental involvement was related to lesser deviant peer affiliation, which was in turn related to greater school connectedness, which was further related to higher prosocial behaviors. The discussion focuses on the importance of studying the interplay of parent, peer, and school factors in understanding prosocial behaviors among U.S. Latino/a youth.

From Social Support to Adolescents’ Subjective Well-Being: the Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation and Prosocial Behavior and Gender Difference

The purpose of this study was to examine (a) whether social support relates to subjective well-being (SWB) directly and indirectly through emotion regulation (including cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) and prosocial behavior in adolescents and (b) whether such associations differ across gender. A total of 512 Chinese adolescents ranging in age from 10 to 17 were surveyed. Results showed that cognitive reappraisal and prosocial behavior mediated the relationship between social support and SWB; moreover, multigroup analyses indicated gender differences. For male adolescents, only indirect pathways through cognitive reappraisal and prosocial behavior from social support to SWB were significant. For female adolescents, a significant direct pathway from social support to SWB was also found. Applications and limitations are discussed.