Prosocial Behavior Towards Another in Distress at 12-Months: Early Child and Maternal Predictors

• In Event: 1-092 - Developing Prosociality in the First Year: Precursors and Early Forms of Helping, Sharing, and Empathy

Integrative Statement

Despite growing interest in the early development of prosocial behavior, there is relatively little work on manifestations of prosocial behavior towards distressed others in the first year of life. Indeed, showing prosocial behavior towards another in distress can be challenging at such a young age, as the infant must understand the others’ need state, regulate their own emotions, formulate a goal-directed response, and then carry it out. To observe such behavior, researchers must therefore provide infants with appropriate stimuli (e.g. clear yet not overly-arousing distress), and allow them sufficient time to respond. In the present study we examined whether 12-month-old infants would show prosocial behavior under such conditions. Extending prior work (e.g., Knafo et al., 2008), we expected that some 12-months-olds would exhibit prosocial attempts, particularly towards a familiar other (their mother). We also explored what specific forms such prosocial behavior might take. Finally, we examined several predictors of such prosocial behaviors: (a) infants’ earlier and concurrent empathic responses towards distressed others, which we expected to predict greater prosociality; (b) infants’ earlier and concurrent positive empathy for others’ happiness, which we did not expect to predict this form of prosociality; and (c) maternal stress in the parenting role, as a reflection of less optimal parenting, which we expected to predict less infant prosociality.

Method. A sample of Israeli infants were observed in their homes at 3-months (N=164), 6-months (N=156, 95%), and 12-months (N=152, 93%). At each visit, infants’ responses to three 60-second distress episodes (mother, experimenter, video of peer) were assessed and coded for multiple markers (empathic concern, inquiry behavior, personal distress, avoidance of the victim), as well as for prosocial behaviors towards mother/experimenter. At each time point, infants were also assessed for their response to others’ expressed happiness (positive empathy) using 60-second episodes (experimenter simulation, video of a peer). Finally, when infants were 6-months-old, mothers also filled out the Parenting Stress Index-short Form (Abidin, 1995).

Results. 14% of the infants showed prosocial responses towards the mother or the experimenter. As expected, prosocial attempts were more frequent with the mother than with the experimenter, 4% vs. 11%, t(146)=2, p = .047. Prosocial behavior in the current study typically took one of three forms: physical comfort attempts; trying to recruit help for the other; or giving/offering an object. Moreover, consistent with hypotheses, multiple significant associations were found between early responses to another in distress and subsequent (and concurrent) prosocial behaviors towards a distressed other (see Table 1). Moreover, no associations emerged with positive empathy to another’s happiness. Finally, consistent with prediction, significant negative associations were found between maternal stress in the parenting role at 6-months (particularly the subscale Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction) and infants’ prosocial behavior towards another in distress at 12-months (for the total prosocial score: r=-.25, p=.004).

Thus, from as early as 3-months, responses to another in distress—but not for another’s happiness—predict later manifestations of prosociality towards distressed others. Maternal stress in the parenting role also plays a role in children’s subsequent prosociality, which merits further attention.

Authors

• Maayan Davidov, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  Presenting Author

• Yael Paz, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  Non-Presenting Author

• Tal Orlitsky, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  Non-Presenting Author

• Ronit Roth-Hanania, Tel Aviv-Yaffo Academic College
  Non-Presenting Author

• Florina Uzefovsky, Ben Gurion University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Carolyn Zahn-Waxler, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  Non-Presenting Author