The Development of Prosocial Behaviors in Young Children: A Prospective Population-Based Cohort Study

Abstract

Researchers know relatively little about the normative development of children's behaviors aimed at alleviating distress or discomfort in others. In this article, the authors aim to describe the continuity and discontinuity in the degree to which young children in the general population are reported to exhibit specific prosocial behaviors. Data came from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Consistent with Hay's model of prosocial development, the results show that there were about as many children who stopped exhibiting prosocial behaviors between 29 and 41 months of age as there were children who started doing so during this period. Further, gender differences (girls > boys) in prosocial behaviors are either emerging or at least increasing in magnitude, with girls being more likely to start and boys being more likely to stop exhibiting these behaviors between 29 and 41 months of age. Consistent with the early-onset hypothesis, children who exhibit prosocial behaviors at 17 months of age are less likely to stop exhibiting the same behaviors between 29 and 41 months of age. Otherwise, if they did not exhibit prosocial behaviors at 29 months of age, they are also more likely to start doing so in the following year.

The Interplay of Self–Certainty and Prosocial Development in the Transition from Late Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood

“…In fact, a consistent literature suggests that, from early childhood (e.g. Baillargeon et al, 2011;Malti, Gummerum, & Buchmann, 2007) to adolescence and emerging adulthood (e.g. Caprara et al, 2012;Carlo et al, 2015), female displays more prosociality than male.…”

Digital Storytelling Intervention on Prosocial Behavior Improvement among Early Childhood

“…The results of a longitudinal study conducted by Baillargeon et al (2011) in 2.940 infants found that lack of prosocial behavior was also seen in behavior early childhood. Some children do not want to give or help if there is no regular guidance, which is shown by the child with behaviors, such as not willing to lend his stationery to his friend, does not want to help his friend when he falls, and still exists children who do not want to share the food they have and often fight with each other (Baillargeon et al, 2011). In the development of prosocial behavior that has been carried out in schools, providing an understanding of prosocial behavior in children tends to be done orally by the teacher after the child is seen not showing prosocial behavior and inside learning situation (Jevtic, 2017).…”

Expressive language and prosocial behaviour in early childhood: Longitudinal associations in the UK Millennium Cohort Study

“…Studies examining longitudinal trajectories of prosocial behaviour have been few. Yet there is partial support for the developmental framework put forth by Hay (1994) suggesting that prosocial behaviour develops in infancy, becomes more frequent in the second and third years, followed by a decrease around entrance into preschool and formal schooling (fourth to sixth years) (Baillargeon et al, 2011). Hay, Payne & Chadwick (2004) suggested that this decline in prosocial behaviour results from an increased sense of self-interest and social cognition such as understanding that appropriate behavioural responses vary across situations.…”