Development of Prosocial Behavior

Why in a given situation a child wants to engage in prosocial behavior

1. Children learns moral rules and prosocial behavior becomes a conditioned reinforce. 2. Moral rules become part of a child's self-concept ("I am a nice, caring person) 3. Perspective-taking/Empathy- conditioned emotional reaction that approximates what would be felt if the event was happening to the child.

How children are socialized to want to be prosocial

1. Parents model prosocial behavior and describe its benefits. 2. Parents and peers (esp important for teens) reinforce prosocial behavior and describe prosocial behavior as a trait of the child's 3. Parents use inductive (reasoning-based) discipline- parents explain why non-prosocial behavior was wrong and emphasize the effect on others

Temptation Resistance Task

3 year olds (1/3rd lie) and 4-7 year olds (2/3 lie)

Children learn to ensure subsequent statements do not contradict the initial lie

7-8 years old

High control may benefit what kind of children?

Children living in dangerous neighborhoods where strict obedience can protect the child.

Prosocial/Moral Behavior

Begins as socially desirable behaviors such as sharing, helping, cooperating, and becomes self-imposed moral standards such as honesty, fairness, benevolence, etc. -infants and toddlers recognize distress and try to help (beginnings of empathy) -in general, sharing, helping, cooperating increases over childhood

The overall "key" for how children are socialized to want to be prosocial

Caretaker provided experiences + verbal descriptions

Parents model prosocial behavior and describe its benefits

Child learns moral rules (can state them covertly) and prosocial behavior becomes a conditioned reinforce (feels good to have helped)

Permissive

High in warmth, low in control; supportive but lenient, do not set and enforce clear standards, avoid confrontation (kids do less well in school, more problem behavior, but better self-esteem and social skills

Authoritarian

Low in warmth, high in control; Obedience-oriented, expect their orders to be obeyed without explanation (kids do moderately well in school, no problem behavior, but poorer self-esteem and social skills)

Parents and peers (esp important for teens) reinforce prosocial behavior and describe prosocial behavior as a trait of the child's.

Moral rules become part of child's self-concept ("I am a giving, caring person").

Parents use inductive discipline- when disciplining child parents' explain why non-prosocial behavior was wrong and emphasize the effect on others

Perspective-taking/Empathy - conditioned emotional reaction that approximates what would be felt if event was happening to the child.

Why in a given situation a child will, or will not, engage in prosocial behavior

Recognition: Identify stimulus features of situation that call for prosocial behavior. Responsibility: Friend vs. Stranger; someone who previously helped or shared with child; likelihood of future contact; number of others present Required skills: does child have skills in behavioral repertoire to engage in prosocial response? Consequences: personal costs/risks? Amount of sacrifice; adult watching?

Control predicts

academics and deviance

the 4 parenting styles

authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and rejecting

Control may be somewhat more important for ____.

boys

With the development of lying...

children learn social norms for honesty, consequences for dishonesty, and benefits of occasional pro-social lie telling.

Authoritative

high in warmth and control; monitor and set clear standards for conduct, discipline is firm but reasoning-based (the kids do well academically, prosocial, high self-esteem)

Rejecting

low in warmth and control; a sort of indifference towards the child (the biggest differences are found here, these children do the worst in all domains)

When does lying emerge?

pre-school years. -earliest lies are to concel/deny misdeeds (3-4 year olds)

Warmth predicts

social skills and self-esteem

Lying is related to social and cognitive _________.

sophistication

Lying

speaker makes a false statement with the intention of deceiving listener.