Empathy, Social Responsibility, and Civic Behavior Among Irish Adolescents

A Socio-Contextual Approach

Bibliographic Data

ID11670758
AuthorsCharlotte Silke (0000-0003-0819-3241, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway, corresponding author), Bernadine Brady (0000-0001-6139-1824, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway), Ciara Boylan (Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway), Pat Dolan (0000-0002-6949-5772, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway)
Year2020
Volume41
Issue7
Pages996-1019
Publication date2020-12-09
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journal of Early Adolescence (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0272-4316 • E-ISSN: 1552-5449
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0272431620977658
OpenAlexW3111701256
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited77

Research suggests that empathy and positive social values are important drivers of youth prosocial and civic action. However, theory and research indicate that young people’s civic behaviors are also shaped by their socio-contextual experiences. Drawing on a sample of 533 adolescents from public secondary schools in the Republic of Ireland, this research employed structural equation modeling to examine whether youth’s (cognitive and affective) empathy and social responsibility values mediated the relationship between youth’s social (parents, peers, school, and community) contexts and their civic behavior. Results suggest that youth’s cognitive empathy and social responsibility values appear to mediate the relationship between a number of social-contextual experiences and youth’s civic behavior. Overall, the findings from this research have important implications for research and practice

Action (physics · Civic engagement · Cognition · Developmental psychology · Empathy · Irish · Political science · Prosocial behavior · Social cognition · Social cognitive theory · Structural equation modeling · Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression · Media Influence and Health · Psychology · Social Psychology · Youth Development and Social Support