Prosocial Behavior

Abstract

Aggression and other forms of antisocial behavior have captured the attention of developmental researchers to a far greater extent than prosocial behaviors such as helping, comforting, sharing, defending, and making restitution for antisocial behavior. Yet the ability to feel empathy for the distress of others and to care for them is surely an equally if not more admirable feature of human behavior than simply refraining from harming others. At the same time, it is a more complex form of behavior. Thus, conditions under which people should assist others, particularly when that assistance involves personal sacrifi ce, are ambiguous, at least in Western European cultures. Although children who help others have more positive relationships and interactions with their peers (Eisenberg, Fabes, & Spinrad, 2006 ) and people who were prosocial as children are less likely to be antisocial as adults (Hamalaimen & Pulkiinen, 1995 ), prosocial behavior may make excessive demands on the resources of the giver as well as occasionally be viewed negatively by the recipient. Accordingly, studies indicate that prosocial behavior is often not praised by parents or teachers (Caplan & Hay, 1989 ;Grusec, 1991 ) and that parents frequently do not welcome it in young children (Rheingold, 1982 ). Not all acts that benefi t others, of course, have a personal cost. Helping others leads to feelings of mastery and opportunities for social interaction, even when that help is not likely to be reciprocated. What characterizes prosocial behavior is that it is voluntary and intentional behavior that benefi ts another. It is not done in response to direction or request, and it appears to be motivated by some form of internal direction rather than by hope of external reward or fear of punishment.In this chapter we survey a number of features of empathy and prosocial behavior in children. We begin with an overview of the development of prosocial behavior. Then we consider its evolutionary and genetic underpinnings as well as its developmental 550 Joan E. Grusec et al. progression. We next turn to the various ways in which it is socialized as well as to differences in cultural demands for and expressions of concern for others. Next we review recent work on the neurological and hormonal infl uences underlying prosocial behavior. Finally, we discuss the relation between prosocial and antisocial behavior.

Here, there and everywhere: emotion and mental state talk in different social contexts predicts empathic helping in toddlers

“…These and other processes have been shown to promote prosocial responding in preschool- and school-aged children (see Grusec et al, 2002; and Hastings et al, 2007, for reviews). A small body of literature suggests that parents begin to socialize prosocial behavior in infancy through both global and specific mechanisms.…”

A proszociális viselkedés fejlődése és fejlesztése kisgyermekkorban

“…A proszocialitás definiálása nehéz feladat, egységes megfogalmazás eddig nem született, mivel sokkal komplexebb, mint az antiszocialitás (Grusec & Sherman, 2011). Nagy (1996Nagy ( , 2010) szerint a proszocialitás segítő életmódként értelmezhető, mindkét fél érde-keit szolgáló, a proszociális hajlamok által befolyásolt lojális, a másik felet segítő aktivitás.…”

“…A proszociális viselkedés körébe számos viselkedésforma sorolható. Ilyenek a segítségnyújtás, a megosztás, az együttműködés, a támogatás, a védelem, az aggódás, a vigasztalás, a kárpótlás, az előzé-kenység, valamint a másik iránt érzett részvét (Bar-Tal, 1982;Eisenberg, 1982;Fülöp, 1991;Eisenberg & Fabes, 1991;Caprara, Barbaranelli, Pastorelli, Bandura, & Zimbardo, 2000;Schroeder, Penner, Dovidio, & Piliavin, 1995;Grusec & Sherman, 2011). Kállai (2013) szerint a szociális magatartás alapvetően proszociális, mivel már a tár-sas környezet feltételezett jelenléte maga után vonja a másik személy vagy csoport ér-zelmi állapotának, igényeinek, szükségleteinek felismerését, értelmezését.…”

“…A proszocialitás komponenseinek részletesebb feltárása nemzetközi szinten már az 1980-as években lezajlott, azonban a proszociális viselkedés fejlesztésére ekkor még nem tettek kísérletet. A társas együttélés pozitív tényezőiről áthelyeződött a hangsúly a bomlasztó jellegű antiszociális viselkedés vizsgálatára (Grusec & Sherman, 2011). Azonban az utóbbi évtizedben megjelentek olyan laboratóriumi környezetben végzett kísérletek, amelyek kifejezetten az óvodáskorú gyermekek segítő viselkedésének felmérését és fejlesztését célozták (pl.…”

‘Learning to Live Together’: training early childhood educators to promote socio‐emotional competence of toddlers and pre‐school children

“…The LtLT program draws on Vygotsky's theory (1978) as well as on many empirical findings concerning effective social and emotional learning, generally conceived under 'social learning theory' (Denham 1998;Grusec, Davidov, and Landell 2002). The program assumes that learning that occurs when a caregiver is coaching and scaffolding children's behavior is most effective when caregivers' behavior refers to children's 'zone of proximal development'.…”