Links between perception of parental behaviour, social cognitions, and prosocial behaviour in early adolescence

MARÍA CRISTINA RICHAUD; BELÉN MESURADO; CAROLINA FERNANDEZ; GUSTAVO CARLO

Philadelphia

Simposio; 13th SRA (Society for Research on Adolescence) 2010 Biennial Meeting; 2010

Society for Research on Adolescence

Prosocial behaviour forms an important part of the social interactions and has thus been studied in terms of where these behaviours come from. Eisenberg and Fabes (1998) noted that prosocial behaviour is the outcome of multiple individual and situational factors including parents and empathy. We study children perception’s of mother and father behaviour and empathy and whether these can predict prosocial behaviour in late (11 to 12 years old) childhood and early adolescence (13-14 years old). Acceptance was expected to be positively associated with prosocial behaviours. Due to the known link between empathy and prosocial behaviour, we also hypothesize that perceived parental empathy influences children prosocial behaviour. Furthermore, gender differences would ascertain higher levels of prosocial behaviour in females. Child age relates to the different stages of moral and altruistic development. Older children have more advanced motives for sharing, and are beginning to become more altruistic. This study included a sample of 934 middle class children, aged 11 to 14, from primary schools in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Measures included were: 1) Argentine adaptation of Caprara’s Prosocial Behaviour Questionnaire, 2) Richaud’s Argentine Scale of Perception of Relationships with Parents for children and adolescents (Acceptance, Acceptable Control, Strict Control, Pathological Control, and Extreme Autonomy or Negligence), and 3) Richaud’s Argentine Questionnaires about Children perception of parental empathy, with items corresponding to the Davis’ IRI’s but referred to parents (Perspective Taking, Fantasy, Empathic Concern, and Personal Distress). Regarding multiple correlations between children perception of father empathy dimensions and prosocial behaviour, father Perspective Taking had the strongest associations with younger girls (r= .35) and older boys (r= .33) prosocial behaviour. In the case of mother, also Perspective Taking had the strongest correlation with girls’ (r= 38), especially older ones’ (r=.41), prosocial behaviour, following by the correlation with younger girls’ (r=.34) and older boys’ (r=.34) prosocial behaviour. With respect to children perception of father behaviour, father Acceptance had the strongest association with older girls’ prosocial behaviour (r=.40), following by the correlation with younger girls’ (r=.36) and older boys’ (r=.36) prosocial behaviour. When examining the patterns of association of mother behaviour, highest correlations correspond to Acceptance with older boys’ and younger girls’ prosocial behaviour (r= .56 each), following by the correlation with older girls’ prosocial behaviour (r=.44). The only empathy dimension related with children’s prosocial behaviour, of both mother and father, is perspective taking. This relation happened especially in older children, probably because they have a more developed prosocial behaviour and altruism. The same occurs with the relation between parental style and children’s prosocial behaviour, being acceptance the only significant dimension. Concerning gender, father empathy is related only to the younger girls’ and to the older boys’ prosocial behaviour, while mother empathy is related to all girls and only the older boys. According to traditional patterns of Latino culture, the father is more permissive, understanding and protecting toward little girls and more demanding and harsh with boys. Discussion will focus on the importance of culture and parenting on children’s prosocial behaviours.