Adolescent prosocial behavior: the role of self-processes and contextual cues.
Peer- and teacher-reported prosocial behavior of 339 6th-grade (11-12 years) and 8th-grade (13-14 years) students was examined in relation to prosocial goals, self-processes (reasons for behavior, empathy, perspective taking, depressive affect, perceived competence), and contextual cues (expectations of peers and teachers). Goal pursuit significantly predicted prosocial behavior, and goal pursuit provided a pathway by which reasons for behavior were related to behavior. Reasons reflected external, other-focused, self-focused, and internal justifications for behavior; each reason was related to a unique set of self-processes and contextual cues. Associations between prosocial outcomes and sex and race (Caucasian and African American) were mediated in part by self-processes and contextual cues. The implications of studying prosocial behavior from a motivational perspective are discussed.
Wentzel
Kathryn R
KR
University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA. kw52@umail.umd.edu
Filisetti
Laurence
L
Looney
Lisa
L
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D003463:Cues; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D012649:Self Concept; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology