Introduction: Literature on adolescent prosocial behavior (PB) has grown tremendously since the development of The Prosocial Tendency Measure-Revised (PTM-R), which includes subscales assessing diferent types of PB. However, indings of gender diferences are inconsistent across studies. Thus, we computed meta-analyses to examine gender diferences in adolescents' PB. Further, we examined the moderating roles of type of PB, and various sample (i.e., mean age, gender composition, ethnic composition) and study (i.e., reporter type, measurement form, reliability) characteristics in gender diferences in PB. Methods: Using online databases (e.g., ProQuest), journal article references, and conference programs, we identiied a total of 46 records from 32 studies (215 efect sizes, N = 12,024) across the globe that had measured adolescents' (age 10-18; 51% male) PB using the PTM-R or the PTM. Results: Gender diferences in the PB were small to medium in magnitude (ds ranged from 0 to 0.35) for absolute gender diferences (i.e., overall magnitude of gender diferences regardless of which gender was higher). There were larger gender diferences for gender-typed prosocial behaviors (e.g., altruistic, d = 0.35) than gender-neutral behaviors (e.g., anonymous, d = 0.03). The type of PB (i.e., altruistic, compliant, public, emotional, dire, anonymous) and region (i.e., European, U.S., traditional cultures, Asian) and were signiicant moderators. Conclusions: Although males and females generally are more similar than diferent in their prosociality, it is important to consider the type of PB when examining gender diferences.Most research on adolescent development has focused on risk-taking and problem behaviors (Ettekal & Ladd, 2017) whereas positive behaviors, such as prosocial behavior, have received relatively less research attention. Prosocial behavior (PB) refers to voluntary, intentional actions that beneit others (e.g., sharing to comply with adults' request; Eisenberg, Spinrad, & Knafo-Noam, 2015). Due to increasing social mobility and cognitive capacities, adolescents, in comparison to younger children, are likely presented with more opportunities to engage in PB (Fabes, Carlo, Kupanof, & Laible, 1999). It is important to examine PB during adolescence because it may be a protective factor against problem behaviors (Carlo et al., 2014) and has been positively related to social competence (Eisenberg et al., 2015) and academic outcomes (Caprara, Barbaranelli, Pastorelli, Bandura, & Zimbardo, 2000).Gender is one of the most basic social categories, and researchers have long been interested in examining gender diferences in
Relations among White (non‐Latinx) children's empathy‐related responding, prosocial behaviors, and racial attitudes toward White and Black peers were examined. In 2017, 190 (54% boys) White 5‐ to 9‐year‐old children (M = 7.09 years, SD = 0.94) watched a series of videos that depicted social rejection of either a White or Black child. Empathy‐related responses, prosocial behaviors, and racial attitudes were measured using multiple methods. Results showed that younger children showed less facial concern toward Black than White peers and greater increases with age in concern and prosocial behaviors (sharing a desirable prize) for Black, compared to White, targets. Children's facial anger increased with age for White but not Black targets. The findings can extend our understanding children's anti‐racism development.
Building upon two complimentary theoretical frameworks related to group relations (i.e., Intergroup Contact Theory and Peer Exposure), we examined how emerging adults’ friendships with men and women were related to their hostile sexism, benevolent sexism, and sexual objectification attitudes. Participants were 212 college students ( M age = 20.20 years, SD = 2.08; 62% female; 58% White) from a large southwestern university. Results provided support for Intergroup Contact Theory and for a Peer Exposure effect, but only for men. Specifically, for men, having female friends was negatively associated with hostile sexism, and having male friends was positively related to hostile sexism; neither friendship type related to benevolent sexism. For women, no significant relations between friends and attitudes were found; this is likely due to the assessed attitudes being about women (their own group). The findings suggest a promising pathway to mitigate gender-based prejudice for men through cross-gender friendships.
Promoting prosocial behaviour towards those who are dissimilar from oneself is an urgent contemporary issue. Because children spend much time in same‐gender relationships, promoting other‐gender prosociality could help them develop more inclusive relationships. Our goals were to better understand the development of school‐age children's intergroup prosocial behavior and the extent to which elementary school‐age children consider their own and the recipient's gender in prosocial behaviour. Participants included 515 3rd, 4th and 5th graders (263, 51.1% boys, Mageinyears = 9.08, SD = 1.00) surveyed in the fall (T1) and spring (T2). We assessed children's prosociality using peer nominations. Children became more prosocial toward same‐gender peers over time but prosocial behavior toward other‐gender peers remained stable. We found that gender mattered: Children showed an ingroup bias in prosociality favouring members of their own‐gender group. Having other‐gender friendships positively predicted children's prosocial behaviour towards other‐gender peers over time. Children's felt similarity to other‐gender peers was not directly, but indirectly, related to more prosocial behaviour toward other‐gender peers. Findings shed light on potential pathways to fostering school‐age children's intergroup prosocial behaviors.
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