Showing papers on "Prosocial behavior published in 2005"
TL;DR: It is shown that intranasal administration of oxytocin, a neuropeptide that plays a key role in social attachment and affiliation in non-human mammals, causes a substantial increase in trust among humans, thereby greatly increasing the benefits from social interactions.
Abstract: Trust pervades human societies. Trust is indispensable in friendship, love, families and organizations, and plays a key role in economic exchange and politics. In the absence of trust among trading partners, market transactions break down. In the absence of trust in a country's institutions and leaders, political legitimacy breaks down. Much recent evidence indicates that trust contributes to economic, political and social success. Little is known, however, about the biological basis of trust among humans. Here we show that intranasal administration of oxytocin, a neuropeptide that plays a key role in social attachment and affiliation in non-human mammals, causes a substantial increase in trust among humans, thereby greatly increasing the benefits from social interactions. We also show that the effect of oxytocin on trust is not due to a general increase in the readiness to bear risks. On the contrary, oxytocin specifically affects an individual's willingness to accept social risks arising through interpersonal interactions. These results concur with animal research suggesting an essential role for oxytocin as a biological basis of prosocial approach behaviour.
3,202 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors build a theory of prosocial behavior that combines heterogeneity in individual altruism and greed with concerns for social reputation or self-respect, and analyze the equilibrium contracts offered by sponsors, including the level and confidentiality of incentives.
Abstract: We build a theory of prosocial behavior that combines heterogeneity in individual altruism and greed with concerns for social reputation or self-respect. The presence of rewards or punishments creates doubt as to the true motive for which good deeds are performed, and this "overjustification effect" can result in a net crowding out of prosocial behavior by extrinsic incentives. The model also allows us to identify settings that are conducive to multiple social norms of behavior, and those where disclosing one's generosity may backfire. Finally, we analyze the equilibrium contracts offered by sponsors, including the level and confidentiality or publicity of incentives. Sponsor competition may cause rewards to bid down rather than up, and can even reduce social welfare by requiring agents to engage in inefficient sacrifices.
1,880 citations
TL;DR: It is argued that this large research literature can be best organized and understood from a multilevel perspective and how theory and research at these three levels of analysis might be combined in future intra- and interdisciplinary research on prosocial behavior.
Abstract: Current research on prosocial behavior covers a broad and diverse range of phenomena. We argue that this large research literature can be best organized and understood from a multilevel perspective. We identify three levels of analysis of prosocial behavior: (a) the “meso” level—the study of helper-recipient dyads in the context of a specific situation; (b) the micro level—the study of the origins of prosocial tendencies and the sources of variation in these tendencies; and (c) the macro level—the study of prosocial actions that occur within the context of groups and large organizations. We present research at each level and discuss similarities and differences across levels. Finally, we consider ways in which theory and research at these three levels of analysis might be combined in future intra- and interdisciplinary research on prosocial behavior.
1,538 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors conducted five dictator games, manipulating both auditory cues of the presence of others and visual cues (via the presentation of stylized eyespots) to explore how subtle cues of observability impact prosocial behavior.
1,036 citations
TL;DR: In a sample of 76 college students, emotion regulation abilities were associated with both self-reports and peer nominations of interpersonal sensitivity and prosocial tendencies, the proportion of positive vs. negative peer nominations, and reciprocal friendship nominations.
Abstract: Emotion regulation abilities, measured on a test of emotional intelligence, were related to several indicators of the quality of individuals' social interactions with peers. In a sample of 76 college students, emotion regulation abilities were associated with both self-reports and peer nominations of interpersonal sensitivity and prosocial tendencies, the proportion of positive vs. negative peer nominations, and reciprocal friendship nominations. These relationships remained statistically significant after controlling for the Big Five personality traits as well as verbal and fluid intelligence.
833 citations
TL;DR: 5 experiments were reported, replicated in 2 countries, testing the hypothesis that increases in security (accomplished through both implicit and explicit priming techniques) foster compassion and altruistic behavior, and the hypothesized effects were consistently obtained.
Abstract: Recent studies based on J. Bowlby's (1969/1982) attachment theory reveal that both dispositional and experimentally enhanced attachment security facilitate cognitive openness and empathy, strengthen self-transcendent values, and foster tolerance of out-group members. Moreover, dispositional attachment security is associated with volunteering to help others in everyday life and to unselfish motives for volunteering. The present article reports 5 experiments, replicated in 2 countries (Israel and the United States), testing the hypothesis that increases in security (accomplished through both implicit and explicit priming techniques) foster compassion and altruistic behavior. The hypothesized effects were consistently obtained, and various alternative explanations were explored and ruled out. Dispositional attachment-related anxiety and avoidance adversely influenced compassion, personal distress, and altruistic behavior in theoretically predictable ways. As expected, attachment security provides a foundation for care-oriented feelings and caregiving behaviors, whereas various forms of insecurity suppress or interfere with compassionate caregiving.
661 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a distinction is made between two groups of high-status youth: those who are genuinely well liked by their peers and engage in predominantly prosocial behaviors and those who were seen as popular by their friends but are not necessarily well liked.
Abstract: Much research has focused on youth who are rejected by peers; who engage in negative behavior, including aggression; and who are at risk for adjustment problems. Recently, researchers have become increasingly interested in high-status youth. A distinction is made between two groups of high-status youth: those who are genuinely well liked by their peers and engage in predominantly prosocial behaviors and those who are seen as popular by their peers but are not necessarily well liked. The latter group of youth is well known, socially central, and emulated, but displays a mixed profile of prosocial as well as aggressive and manipulative behaviors. Research now needs to address the distinctive characteristics of these two groups and their developmental precursors and consequences. Of particular interest are high-status and socially powerful aggressors and their impact on their peers. The heterogeneity of high-status youth complicates the understanding of the social dynamics of the peer group, but will lead to...
503 citations
TL;DR: Experimental tests of the existence of other-regarding preferences in non-human primates are presented and it is shown that chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) do not take advantage of opportunities to deliver benefits to familiar individuals at no material cost to themselves, suggesting that chimpanzee behaviour is not motivated by other- Regarding preferences.
Abstract: Humans are an unusually prosocial species-we vote, give blood, recycle, give tithes and punish violators of social norms. Experimental evidence indicates that people willingly incur costs to help strangers in anonymous one-shot interactions, and that altruistic behaviour is motivated, at least in part, by empathy and concern for the welfare of others (hereafter referred to as other-regarding preferences). In contrast, cooperative behaviour in non-human primates is mainly limited to kin and reciprocating partners, and is virtually never extended to unfamiliar individuals. Here we present experimental tests of the existence of other-regarding preferences in non-human primates, and show that chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) do not take advantage of opportunities to deliver benefits to familiar individuals at no material cost to themselves, suggesting that chimpanzee behaviour is not motivated by other-regarding preferences. Chimpanzees are among the primates most likely to demonstrate prosocial behaviours. They participate in a variety of collective activities, including territorial patrols, coalitionary aggression, cooperative hunting, food sharing and joint mate guarding. Consolation of victims of aggression and anecdotal accounts of solicitous treatment of injured individuals suggest that chimpanzees may feel empathy. Chimpanzees sometimes reject exchanges in which they receive less valuable rewards than others, which may be one element of a 'sense of fairness', but there is no evidence that they are averse to interactions in which they benefit more than others.
462 citations
TL;DR: Bullies and victims seem to be similar in reactive aggression, SIP, and in the expression of anger, but the motivations which lead to their behavior may be different, as well as the final outcomes of their acts.
Abstract: Background: The present study aimed to investigate children’s social information processing (SIP) and emotions in the bullying situation, taking into account reactive and proactive aggression. More specifically, we investigated the way in which children interpret social information, which goals they select, how they evaluate their responses and which emotions they express in hypothetical situations. Method: The participants comprised 242 Dutch children (120 girls and 122 boys; mean age: 117.2 months), who were assigned by means of peer nominations (Salmivalli, Lagerspetz, et al., 1996) to one of the following roles: bully (n ¼ 21), follower of the bully (n ¼ 38), victim (n ¼ 35), defender of the victim (n ¼ 48), outsider (n ¼ 52) and not involved (n ¼ 32). Sixteen children (including 3 bully/victims) were not given any role. The reactive and proactive aggression scale (Dodge, & Coie, 1987) was filled out by teachers in order to test the association between these types of aggression and involvement in bullying. Children were presented with ambiguous scenarios and responded to questions about attribution of intent, goal selection and emotions (anger and sadness). In addition, two questionnaires were administered to children: one assessed perceived self-efficacy in performing aggression, inhibiting aggression and using verbal persuasion skills, and the other assessed expected outcomes from behaving aggressively or prosocially. Results: Results showed that while reactive aggression was common in bullies and victims, proactive aggression was only characteristic of bullies. Both bullies and victims, compared to the other children, scored higher on hostile interpretation, anger, retaliation and ease of aggression. Bullies and followers claimed that it was easy for them to use verbal persuasion, while victims turned out to be the saddest group. All children, irrespective of their role in the peer group, thought that aggressive as well as prosocial behavior was more likely to produce desired results from a friendly peer than from an aggressive one. Conclusions: Bullies and victims seem to be similar in reactive aggression, SIP, and in the expression of anger, but the motivations which lead to their behavior may be different, as well as the final outcomes of their acts. Keywords: Bullying, victimization, reactive aggression, social information processing, emotions. Abbreviations: PRS: Participant Role Scale; RePro: Reactive and Proactive Aggression Questionnaire; SIP: social information processing. Bullying is a phenomenon characterized by negative actions towards a peer, with the intention to hurt (Olweus, 1991, 1993). The actions of the bully are repeated over time and may include physical or verbal aggression (Olweus, 1993; Boulton, & Un
398 citations
TL;DR: In this article, age changes' measures of prosocial responding and reasoning were examined and participants' reports of helping, empathy-related responding, and prosocial moral reasoning were obtained in adolescence (from age 15-16 years) and into adulthood (to age 25-26 years).
Abstract: Age changes' measures of prosocial responding and reasoning were examined. Participants' reports of helping, empathy-related responding, and prosocial moral reasoning were obtained in adolescence (from age 15-16 years) and into adulthood (to age 25-26 years). Perspective taking and approval/interpersonal oriented/stereotypic prosocial moral reasoning increased from adolescence into adulthood, whereas personal distress declined. Helping declined and then increased (a cubic trend). Prosocial moral judgment composite scores (and self-reflective empathic reasoning) generally increased from late adolescence into the early 20s (age 17-18 to 21-22) but either leveled off or declined slightly thereafter (i.e., showed linear and cubic trends); rudimentary needs-oriented reasoning showed the reverse pattern of change. The increase in self-reflective empathic moral reasoning was for females only. Thus, perspective taking and some aspects of prosocial moral reasoning-capacities with a strong sociocognitive basis-showed the clearest increases with age, whereas simple prosocial proclivities (i.e., helping, sympathy) did not increase with age.
391 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a sample of 796 college students completed measures of the Big Five traits, prosocial value motivation to volunteer, and volunteering, and the results of path analyses showed that prosocial values motivation partially mediated the relations between agreeableness and extraversion and volunteering.
TL;DR: The present results showed that women were more empathic than men, but no gender difference for forgiveness was apparent, however, the association between empathy and forgiveness did differ by gender.
Abstract: Much research has shown that women are more empathic than men. Yet, women and men are equally forgiving. However, it is not clear whether empathy is more important to forgiveness for men or for women. The purpose of the present study was to examine gender differences in levels of empathy and forgiveness and the extent to which the association of empathy and forgiveness differed by gender. Participants were 127 community residents who completed self-report measures of empathy and forgiveness. The present results showed that women were more empathic than men, but no gender difference for forgiveness was apparent. However, the association between empathy and forgiveness did differ by gender. Empathy was associated with forgiveness in men—but not in women.
TL;DR: The authors found that religious young adults tended not to use indirect aggression in dealing with hypothetical daily hassles and female students' religiosity was associated with willingness to help close targets in hypothetical situations but the effect was not extended to unknown targets.
Abstract: An important discrepancy seems to exist between self-reports and laboratory studies regarding prosociality among religious people. Some have even suggested that this involves moral hypocrisy on the part of religious people. However, the assumption of the four studies reported here is that the impact of religiousness on prosociality is limited but exists, and does not reflect self-delusion. In Study 1 (N = 106), religious young adults tended not to use indirect aggression in dealing with hypothetical daily hassles. In Study 2 (N = 105), female students' religiosity was associated with willingness to help close targets in hypothetical situations but the effect was not extended to unknown targets. In Studies 3 (N = 315, 105 triads) and 4 (N = 274, 109 targets), religious targets not only reported high altruistic behavior and empathy, but were also perceived as such by peers (friends, siblings, or colleagues) in three out of four cases. Other results from the studies suggested that the prosociality of religious people is not an artifact of gender, social desirability bias, security in attachment, empathy, or honesty.
TL;DR: In both studies the effects of empathy and attraction held up even when the authors statistically controlled for potential alternative predictors of helping, and the theoretical and practical implications for helping in intergroup contexts are discussed.
Abstract: In this article, the authors introduce and test a group-level perspective on the role of empathy and interpersonal attraction in helping. In line with our predictions, Study 1, a longitudinal field study of 166 AIDS volunteers, confirmed that empathy was a stronger predictor of helping when the recipient of assistance was an in-group member than when that person was an out-group member. Also as hypothesized, attraction was a stronger predictor of helping when the recipient was an out-group member than when that person was an in-group member. Study 2 replicated and further extended these results in a laboratory experiment on spontaneous helping of a person with hepatitis. Strengthening the validity of the findings, in both studies the effects of empathy and attraction held up even when the authors statistically controlled for potential alternative predictors of helping. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings for helping in intergroup contexts are discussed.
01 Jan 2005
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a framework for the development of positive formation of the self: Character, Attitudes, Spirituality, and Identity for adolescents and adolescents' development in the 21st century.
Abstract: Complete mental health: An agenda for the 21st century.- and Conceptual Framework.- Positive Formation of the Self: Character, Attitudes, Spirituality, and Identity.- The Values in Action Inventory of Character Strengths for Youth.- Adolescent Spirituality.- Children's Life Satisfaction.- Measuring Hope in Children.- The Ethnic Identity Scale.- Healthy Habits, Positive Behaviors, and Time Use.- Leisure Time Activities in Middle Childhood.- Healthy Habits among Adolescents: Sleep, Exercise, Diet, and Body Image.- Adolescent Participation in Organized Activities.- Positive Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Functioning: An Assessment of Measures among Adolescents.- A Scale of Positive Social Behaviors.- Positive Relationships with Parents and Siblings.- The Parent-Adolescent Relationship Scale.- Positive Indicators of Sibling Relationship Quality: The Sibling Inventory of Behavior.- Positive Attitudes and Behaviors toward Learning and School Environments.- The Patterns of Adaptive Learning Survey.- Ability Self-Perceptions and Subjective Task Values in Adolescents and Children.- Assessing Academic Self-Regulated Learning.- Identifying Adaptive Classrooms: Dimensions of the Classroom Social Environment.- Connection to School.- School Engagement.- Enacting Positive Values and Behaviors in Communities.- Community-Based Civic Engagement.- Prosocial Orientation and Community Service.- Frugality, Generosity, and Materialism in Children and Adolescents.
TL;DR: In this paper, a 3-year prospective study (N = 458) spanning a transition to middle school, bidirectional associations between children's relations with schoolmates (social preference and impact) and behaviors (physical and relational aggression, prosocial behavior) were examined using structural equation modeling.
Abstract: In this 3-year prospective study (N = 458) spanning a transition to middle school, bidirectional associations between children’s relations with schoolmates (social preference and impact) and behaviors (physical and relational aggression, prosocial behavior) were examined using structural equation modeling. Gender moderation of all estimated paths was examined. There was no gender difference in relational aggression in Grade 3; girls were more relationally aggressive than boys in Grade 6. Males were more physically aggressive than females; females were more prosocial and preferred by peers. Longitudinal and bidirectional associations between relations with peers and behaviors were found. Compared to one-group models of social preference and impact, gender moderation models improved model fit significantly. With regard to social preference and children’s behaviors, gender moderated concurrent, but not longitudinal, associations. With regards to social impact and children’s behaviors, gender moderated both concurrent and longitudinal associations. There was moderate stability of behaviors, including relational aggression.
TL;DR: In this article, the relation between school-based extracurricular participation and indicators of positive and negative development across a range of activity contexts, and a mediation model linking activity participation, prosocial peers, and development was tested.
Abstract: In this article, we test: (a) the relation between school-based extracurricular participation and indicators of positive and negative development across a range of activity contexts, and (b) a mediation model linking activity participation, prosocial peers, and development. Extensive survey information was collected from a predominately White sample of middle class adolescents in 9th, 10th, and 12th grades. Extracurricular participation was related to more favorable academic, psychological, and behavioral adjustment; the pattern of findings differed by activity and outcome. In addition, we documented some support for the hypothesis that the link between extracurricular participation and positive adjustment is partly a function of associating with a prosocial peer group. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are presented.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors combined functional analysis and role identity models of volunteerism in a study of activity and tenure among hospice volunteers and found that identity and perceived expectations emerged as the strongest predictors of both time spent volunteering and length of service.
Abstract: Constructs from the functional analysis and role identity models of volunteerism were combined in a study of activity and tenure among hospice volunteers. The influence of prosocial personality tendencies on sustained volunteer activity was also examined. The findings were most supportive of a role identity model of sustained volunteerism. Identity and perceived expectations emerged as the strongest predictors of both time spent volunteering and length of service. Initial motives for volunteering showed a weaker than expected relationship with volunteerism. Motives were, however, correlated with role identity and perceived expectations in an interpretable and theoretically coherent manner. The results provided preliminary support for a conceptual framework that integrates the functional and identity approaches to understanding long-term volunteers.
TL;DR: Results indicated that, after controlling for age, theory-of-mind understanding significantly predicted aggressive or disruptive behavior for boys and prosocial behavior for girls and was related to lower scores of shy or withdrawn Behavior for boys.
Abstract: In this study, the author examined the relationship between theory-of-mind understanding and preschool-aged children's peer-related social competence. One hundred eleven 3- to 5-year-old children (48 boys, 63 girls) participated in 2 theory-of-mind tasks designed to assess their understanding of false belief. Teachers rated children's peer-related social behavior in terms of prosocial behavior, aggressive or disruptive behavior, and shy or withdrawn behavior. Results indicated that, after controlling for age, theory-of-mind understanding significantly predicted aggressive or disruptive behavior for boys and prosocial behavior for girls. Theory-of-mind understanding also was related to lower scores of shy or withdrawn behavior for boys. Results are discussed in terms of the gender differences in the factors contributing to early peer competence.
TL;DR: One of the most popular explanations among personality and social psychologists is perceived similarity: we feel sympathy and compassion for others to the degree that we perceive them to be like us.
Abstract: What accounts for variation in empathy felt for strangers in need? Currently, one of the most popular explanations among personality and social psychologists is perceived similarity: We feel sympathy and compassion for others to the degree that we perceive them to be like us. Two experiments designed to test the perceived similarity explanation more directly than previous research failed to find support. Results of the second experiment instead supported a classical, but currently less popular, explanation of empathy felt for strangers: nurturant tendencies based on the impulse to care for and protect offspring. We noted distinct theoretical and practical implications of the similarity and nurturance explanations. In addition, we encourage increased attention to nurturance as a possible source of empathy.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined whether two aspects of disruptive behaviors (i.e., hyperactivity-inattention and aggressiveness-opposition) observed in kindergarten predict non-completion of high school by early adulthood.
Abstract: This study examined whether 2 aspects of disruptive behaviors (i.e., hyperactivity-inattention and aggressiveness-opposition) observed in kindergarten predict noncompletion of high school by early adulthood. Also investigated was whether other personal characteristics such as anxiety or prosociality as well as parent child-rearing attitudes and teacher management style exert a compensatory or protective role with respect to these predictive links. A community sample of 4,330 children participated in this study. Results showed that hyperactivity-inattention made a stronger contribution to predicting noncompletion of high school than did aggressiveness-opposition. However, prosociality and 2 parental child-rearing aspects (i.e., pleasure and discipline) played a compensatory role in this process. Theoretical and preventive implications of these results are stressed in the discussion.
01 Jan 2005
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the relationship between theory-of-mind understanding and preschool-aged children's peer-related social competence and found that the theory of mind understanding significantly predicted aggressive or disruptive behavior for boys and prosocial behavior for girls.
Abstract: In this study, the author examined the relationship between theory-of-mind understanding and preschool-aged children's peer-related social competence. One hundred eleven 3- to 5-year-old children (48 boys, 63 girls) participated in 2 theory-of-mind tasks designed to assess their understanding of false belief. Teachers rated children's peer-related social behavior in terms of prosocial behavior, aggressive or disruptive behavior, and shy or withdrawn behavior. Results indicated that, after controlling for age, theory-of- mind understanding significantly predicted aggressive or disruptive behavior for boys and prosocial behavior for girls. Theory-of-mind understanding also was related to lower scores of shy or withdrawn behavior for boys. Results are discussed in terms of the gender differences in the factors contributing to early peer competence.
TL;DR: Results showed a satisfactory fit to the circumplex model and adequate psychometric properties of the goal scales of the new measure, the Interpersonal Goals Inventory for Children, and significant and meaningful relations between goals and peer-reported behavior.
Abstract: The objective of the present research was to develop an assessment model for children's social goals. The aims were (a) to fit children's social goals to a circumplex model and to examine links between goals and peer-reported social behaviors (aggression, withdrawal, and prosocial behavior) in a sample of 276 participants (134 girls, 11- to 12-year-olds) and (b) to replicate these findings and examine whether social behavior mediates the relationship between goals and sociometric status in an independent cross-validation sample of 310 participants (143 girls, 11- to 13-year-olds). Results showed a satisfactory fit to the circumplex model and adequate psychometric properties of the goal scales of the new measure, the Interpersonal Goals Inventory for Children. Other findings included significant and meaningful relations between goals and peer-reported behavior. Social behavior mediated the relations between goals and sociometric status.
TL;DR: It is described how behavioural interventions may enhance or introduce new prosocial identities and social roles, and that network members may confer social approval to reinforce these identities and roles, leading to sustained behavioural risk reduction and changes in risk behaviour norms.
Abstract: To be effective and sustainable, HIV-prevention interventions need to be sufficiently powerful to counteract prevailing social norms and diffuse through the targeted community to provide social reinforcement for behaviour change. Social structural and environmental factors are major influences on HIV-related behaviours yet the dearth of conceptualization and operationalization of these factors impede progress in intervention development. In this paper we propose a social ecological perspective to intervention and highlight relevant theories from social psychology and organizational behaviour literatures. We examine social networks and social settings as micro-structural and environmental influences on HIV risk behaviours, social identities and norms, and as important targets for HIV-prevention intervention. Intervention approaches are proposed that target networks and behavioural settings and provide participants with socially meaningful and rewarding behavioural options that are consistent with valued prosocial identities or roles. Examples are presented on how such an approach has been utilized in prior HIV prevention interventions, including our social network-oriented intervention that trained disadvantaged former and current illicit drug users to conduct peer outreach. We describe how behavioural interventions may enhance or introduce new prosocial identities and social roles, and that network members may confer social approval to reinforce these identities and roles, leading to sustained behavioural risk reduction and changes in risk behaviour norms.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed that anticipated guilt is a motivating force behind individuals' willingness to engage in behaviors to avert the unknown-other-directed threat, and found that participants did not experience psychological reactance and were not accurate when forecasting future feelings of guilt.
Abstract: The current study posits that messages used to elicit behaviors to help unknown others must present substantial perceptions of a threat and efficacy to be successful. Given that many prosocial helping messages depict a threat to unknown others, the current investigation proposed that anticipated guilt is a motivating force behind individuals' willingness to engage in behaviors to avert the unknown-other-directed threat. Specifically, this study hypothesized that messages which induce substantial perceptions of (a) threat, (h) response-efficacy, and (c) self-efficacy would result in feelings of anticipated guilt that subsequently motivate behavioral intent and, ultimately, behaviors to avert the threat to unknown others and avoid the future guilt that they might feel personally. Brehm's (1966) psychological reactance theory, however, notes that such appeals might result in reactance and thus decrease compliance with a message's prescribed actions. Two research questions were posed to determine (a) whether or not individuals experience reactance and (b) what effect, if any, reactance has on compliance. Additionally, participants' accuracy in forecasting guilt was assessed. The proposed model and research questions were tested by focusing on the topic of bone marrow donation. Participants were assigned randomly to one of three message conditions (control and two experimental messages), completed a questionnaire and returned to to complete a follows-up survey 7-10 days later. The data were consistent with the proposed model, and additional findings indicated that participants did not experience psychological reactance and were not accurate when forecasting future feelings of guilt.
TL;DR: This paper examined the effects of the Second Step social-emotional learning program and addressed the relations between social cognitions and prosocial and antisocial behavior, finding that intervention children were more likely to prefer prosocial goals and give egalitarian reasons for satisfaction than control children.
TL;DR: In this article, a structural path of influence through which perceived self-efficacy of affect regulation operates in concert with perceived interpersonal selfefficacy to determine prosocial behavior, which in turn influences satisfaction with life in four age groups.
Abstract: The present study tested the posited structural path of influence through which perceived self–efficacy of affect regulation operates in concert with perceived interpersonal self–efficacy to determine prosocial behavior, which in turn influences satisfaction with life in four age groups. A strong sense of efficacy in the regulation of positive and negative affect was associated with a high perceived efficacy in the management of social relationships and in empathic engagement in others' emotional experiences. Interpersonal self–efficacy directly affected prosocial behavior and entirely mediated the influence of affective self–efficacy on it. As predicted, prosocial behavior directly influenced life satisfaction, showing a higher path of influence for the oldest group as compared to the other ones. The structural model provided a better fit for the data than did alternative models.
TL;DR: Frequency of PA with friends was an important correlate of PA among the peer network variables for adolescent girls.
Abstract: Physical activity declines in adolescent girls, and there is a need to understand factors that are associated with this phenomenon.1 Heaney and Israel suggest that in adults, social support together with social networks has an important causal effect on health, exposure to stress, and the relationship between stress and health.2 Almost every study that has examined the relationship between physical activity and social support has found a strong positive association using both cross-sectional and prospective study designs, and most have focused on adults.3–7 There is also evidence that social support may be more influential for women than for men5–7 and that social networks are the primary means by which individuals receive support. At the same time, the evidence for the relationship between peer support in adolescents is inconsistent. Most studies use overall measures of support with considerable variation in the measurement of physical activity.8
Most research on social networks or peer influence in adolescents has focused on health risk behaviors, such as the influence of peers on smoking behavior.9–14 Fewer studies have examined whether and how friends’ prosocial behaviors may affect the positive health behaviors of adolescents. For instance, prosocial groups are also thought to be protective against violent behavior in youth.14
Preliminary findings from the PACE (Patient-Centered Assessment and Counseling for Exercise) study showed the relationship between overall peer support and self-reported PA was stronger for girls compared to the boys. (unpublished analyses, J Prochaska & J Sallis, July, 2002). No published data currently exist on peer networks and physical activity among adolescent girls. To fill this gap in the literature, this paper provides preliminary data on the activity-related social networks of middle school girls. Social networks that include active girls or boys could positively influence girls’ physical activity by providing opportunities for social support, social influence, social engagement, and access to resources and personal contact to encourage physical activity.15,16 Understanding which social network features are related to physical activity and the ways by which they promote physical activity will allow interventions to target those factors.
This study seeks to determine whether there is a relationship between a girl’s activity level and the activity level, context, and reciprocity (who initiates physical activity) of her close friends. The data for this manuscript were collected as part of a pilot study for the Trial of Activity in Adolescent Girls (TAAG) a multicenter intervention trial designed to test whether a school-based intervention will prevent the decline in physical activity in adolescent girls.
TL;DR: Gender differences in the development of social cognition may help to explain gender differences in crime and violence as mentioned in this paper, and it is not necessarily suggested that deficiencies in cognitive capabilities cause crime, but rather that certain ways of processing social information and certain social cognitive memory structures help to protect the individual from personal, social, environmental, or situational pressures towards criminal behavior.
TL;DR: Children had higher levels of physical aggression and lower levels of prosocial behavior in families where mothers had greater depressed mood and used more punitive parenting practices, and at the neighborhood level, greater perceived problems and lower poverty level were associated with higher levelsof physical aggression.
Abstract: The study identified independent individual, family, and neighborhood correlates of children's physical aggression and prosocial behavior. Participants were 2,745 2–11-year olds nested in 1,982 families, which were themselves nested in 96 Canadian neighborhoods. Hierarchical linear modeling showed that the total variation explained by the three-level model was 28.03% for physical aggression and 17.57% for prosocial behavior. For both childhood behaviors, approximately 66% of this explained variance was between individuals and up to 30% was between families. The smallest amount of observed variation was between neighborhoods. Significant individual-level predictors common to both childhood behaviors were child's sex and maternal hostility toward the target child. Specifically, boys had more mother-reported physical aggression and less prosocial behavior. Children who experienced greater-than-average maternal hostility (compared to siblings) were more physically aggressive and less prosocial. At the family level, significant common predictors were mother depressed mood and punitive parenting. Children had higher levels of physical aggression and lower levels of prosocial behavior in families where mothers had greater depressed mood and used more punitive parenting practices. At the neighborhood level, greater perceived problems and lower poverty level were associated with higher levels of physical aggression. Results are discussed with reference to past and future studies of multilevel effects on children's socialization.