The Hero program: Development and initial validation of an intervention program to promote prosocial behavior in adolescents

Abstract

This article has a dual purpose. First, it proposes to investigate adolescents’ opinion and acceptance of the new online program called “Hero.” Second, this article studies the program’s effectiveness in promoting prosocial behavior. The sample included 51 men and women participants between the ages of 12 and 16 (average age 15.02; SD = 1.07; 49% men). All of the adolescents attended high school and belonged to a middle socioeconomic status. The results indicated that the majority of the users enjoyed participating in the Hero program and thought that it was easy to use and useful, that what they learned could be transferred to daily life, and that they would recommend the program to other adolescents. Moreover, the Hero intervention was effective in promoting prosocial behavior toward strangers and family members but not in promoting prosocial behavior toward friends.

Interventions stimulating prosocial helping behavior: A systematic review

“…Individual coaching (IC) was applied in eight interventions, and in two interventions participants received individual training (IT), for example from their parents (Doescher & Sugawara, 1992). In three interventions, other (OTH) formats of treatment were used: the variable lighting system (Wessolowski, Koenig, Schulte‐Markwort, & Barkmann, 2014), school system and procedure change (Bradshaw et al., 2012), and an online application (Mesurado, Distefano, Robiolo, & Richaud, 2019).…”

“…It may not be necessary for prosocial programs to be face‐to‐face in order to be effective. However, there are only few exceptions in which other ways of delivering intervention were used, such as empathy‐building text messages (Konrath et al., 2015), online applications (Mesurado et al., 2019), or the variable lighting of school spaces (Wessolowski et al., 2014). In contrast to the school‐based approach, using mobile technology is simple and low‐cost, as mobile phones are ubiquitous in most contemporary societies.…”

“…The use of other search terms, such as caring, volunteering, or donating, may result in more interventions targeted at adults. However, because prosocial behavior is relatively “malleable” in the identity development phase (Baumsteiger, 2019; Mesurado et al., 2019), most interventions are developed for young people. Indeed, initiatives developing prosocial behavior may be particularly important for younger generations, as there are generational shifts involving an increase in self‐interest accompanied by a decrease in concern for others, manifesting itself in empathy for outgroups or charity (Twenge et al., 2012).…”

Estudio de usabilidad y percepción de eficacia de los módulos que componen el Programa Héroe

“…El programa Héroe está estructurado en cinco módulos o islas, tendientes a estimular variables socio-emocionales asociadas empíricamente con la prosocialidad: empatía y reconocimiento emocional, emociones positivas, gratitud y perdón (Mesurado et al, 2018). La estructura en sí se presenta como una aventura en la que el adolescente deberá navegar por distintas islas, que representan cada una de las variables y que cuentan con diversas actividades a realizar.…”

“…Abstract: Information and Communication Technologies (ITC) have brought about major changes in countless areas, as they have allowed for the inclusion of technology in education and have created new labor methodologies. In this context, Mesurado et al (2018) have developed the online program Hero, the fi rst web application aimed at promoting prosocial behavior and socio-emotional variables among adolescents. Given that the Hero program is new, investigating its usability is of great interest.…”