Examining the Diversity of Prosocial Behavior: Helping, Sharing, and Comforting in Infancy

Prosocial behaviors are a diverse group of actions that are integral to human social life. In this study, we examined the ability of 18‐ and 24‐month‐old infants to engage in three types of other‐oriented behaviors, specifically helping, sharing, and comforting. Infants in both age groups engaged in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inInfancy Vol. 16; no. 3; pp. 227 - 247
Main Authors Dunfield, Kristen, Kuhlmeier, Valerie A., O'Connell, Laura, Kelley, Elizabeth
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.05.2011
Wiley-Blackwell
Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
Subjects
Ability
Age Differences
Babies
Behavior
Helping Relationship
Infant Behavior
Infants
Prosocial Behavior
Sharing Behavior
Socialization
Studies
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Summary:Prosocial behaviors are a diverse group of actions that are integral to human social life. In this study, we examined the ability of 18‐ and 24‐month‐old infants to engage in three types of other‐oriented behaviors, specifically helping, sharing, and comforting. Infants in both age groups engaged in more prosocial behavior on trials in which an unfamiliar adult experimenter required aid (experimental conditions) than on those in which she did not (control conditions) across two of the three prosocial tasks (i.e., helping and sharing). The infants engaged in these behaviors with similar frequency; however, there was no correlation between the tasks. The implications for the construct of prosocial behavior and the presence of a prosocial disposition are discussed.
Bibliography:istex:F729038921ADA559CDF0DC08D627BA1316698CF8
ArticleID:INFA41
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content type line 23
ISSN:1525-0008
1532-7078
DOI:10.1111/j.1532-7078.2010.00041.x