
Contents
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Key Points Key Points
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The Development of Prosocial Behavior The Development of Prosocial Behavior
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Infancy and Early Childhood Infancy and Early Childhood
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School-aged Children and Adolescents School-aged Children and Adolescents
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Stability of Prosocial Tendencies Stability of Prosocial Tendencies
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Moral Reasoning and its Relation to Prosocial Development Moral Reasoning and its Relation to Prosocial Development
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The Relation of Empathy-Related Responding to Prosocial Behavior The Relation of Empathy-Related Responding to Prosocial Behavior
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Relations of Prosocial and Empathy-Related Responding to Social Competence and Problem Behaviors Relations of Prosocial and Empathy-Related Responding to Social Competence and Problem Behaviors
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Relations of Prosocial Behavior or Empathy/Sympathy to Academic Functioning Relations of Prosocial Behavior or Empathy/Sympathy to Academic Functioning
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Relations of Prosocial Behavior to Children’s Temperament Relations of Prosocial Behavior to Children’s Temperament
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Sex Differences in Prosocial Behavior and Empathy-Related Responding Sex Differences in Prosocial Behavior and Empathy-Related Responding
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Genetics and Prosociality Genetics and Prosociality
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Parental Socialization of Empathy/Sympathy and Prosocial Behavior Parental Socialization of Empathy/Sympathy and Prosocial Behavior
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Parental Discipline, Reinforcement, and Modeling Parental Discipline, Reinforcement, and Modeling
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Parenting Style and Attachment Parenting Style and Attachment
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Parenting Values and Children’s Real-Life Costly Prosocial Behavior and Values Parenting Values and Children’s Real-Life Costly Prosocial Behavior and Values
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Parental Emotion Socialization Parental Emotion Socialization
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Summary Summary
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Socialization of Prosocial Responding from Nonparental Sources Socialization of Prosocial Responding from Nonparental Sources
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Interventions to Promote Empathy and Prosocial Behavior Interventions to Promote Empathy and Prosocial Behavior
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Conclusions and Future Directions Conclusions and Future Directions
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Questions for Future Research Questions for Future Research
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Acknowledgment Acknowledgment
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References References
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13 Prosocial Development
Get accessNancy Eisenberg, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
Tracy L. Spinrad, T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University
Amanda S. Morris, College of Human Sciences, Oklahoma State University
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Published:16 December 2013
Cite
Abstract
In this chapter, we distinguish between different forms of empathy-related responding (i.e., empathy, sympathy, personal distress) and prosocial behavior. The capacity for empathy and sympathy emerges in the early years of life and generally increases with age across childhood. Individual differences in sympathy and prosocial behavior covary, and both tend to be fairly stable across time. Prosocial tendencies are related to prosocial moral reasoning, social competence, self-regulation, and low aggression/externalizing problems. Although individual differences in prosocial and empathic/sympathetic responding are partly due to heredity, environmental factors are also associated with such differences. Authoritative, supportive parenting involving modeling, reasoning, and practices that help children to understand others’ internal states has been associated with higher levels of prosocial behavior. Moreover, securely attached children tend to be prosocial. In addition, peers and siblings can encourage, reinforce, and model prosocial behavior. School interventions, as well as experience with volunteering, appear to affect the degree to which children are sympathetic and engage in prosocial behavior.
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