Analysis of dimensions of prosocial behavior in an argentinean sample of children

MARÍA CRISTINA RICHAUD; BELÉN MESURADO; ANA KOHAN CORTADA

Psychological Reports: Mental & Physical Health

Ammons Scientific

Lugar: Missoula, Montana, Estados Unidos; Año: 2012 vol. 111 p. 687 - 696

0033-2941

This study assessed how many motivational factors were required to explain scores for prosocial behavior, as measured by the Spanish version of the Prosocial Tendencies Measure. A sample of 472 middle class children and adolescents,both sexes, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, completed the Prosocial Tendencies Measure. This instrument presents prosocial behavior in six types: altruistic, compliant,emotional, public, anonymous, and dire. However, there is evidence that there should be a valid four-factor solution. To verify which factor structure better fit the empirical data obtained, two confirmatory analyses were performed. The results suggest that a four-factor structure (altruistic, public, anonymous, and responsive) is a more parsimonious explanation of the prosocial responses, compared to a six-factor solution. Finally the correlations between the four dimensions reinforced the hypothesis that altruism is the only prosocial behaviour that is selflessly motivated.