Positive parenting and children's prosocial behavior in eight countries

Bibliographic Data

ID23347752
AuthorsConcetta Pastorelli (0000-0003-2837-7312, Department of Psychology Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy, corresponding author), Jennifer E Lansford (0000-0003-1956-4917, Center for Child and Family Policy Duke University Durham NC USA), Bernardette Paula Luengo Kanacri (0000-0001-7228-459X, Department of Psychology Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy), Bernadette Paula Luengo Kanacri (0009-0009-9056-171X, Sapienza University of Rome), Patrick S Malone (Department of Psychology University of South Carolina Columbia SC USA), Patrick Malone (0000-0002-8364-6987, Department of Psychology University of South Carolina Columbia SC USA), Laura Di Giunta (0000-0002-2578-8610, Interuniversity Centre for Research in the Genesis and Development of Prosocial and Antisocial Motivations Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy), Dario Bacchini (0000-0001-6140-9377, Department of Psychology Second University of Naples Caserta Italy), Anna Silvia Bombi (0000-0002-9678-1248, Department of Developmental and Social Psychology Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy), Arnaldo Zelli (0000-0003-4020-8159, Department of Education Sciences Foro Italico University of Rome Rome Italy), Maria Concetta Miranda (Department of Psychology Second University of Naples Caserta Italy), Marc H Bornstein (0000-0002-6810-8427, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Bethesda MD USA), Sombat Tapanya (0000-0002-2461-6593, Department of Psychiatry Faculty of Medicine Chiang Mai University Chiang Mai Thailand), Liliana Maria Uribe Tirado (0000-0002-3218-0187, Facultad de Psicologia Universidad San Buenaventura Medellin Colombia), Liane Peña Alampay (0000-0002-5760-6711, Department of Psychology Ateneo de Manila University Metropolitan Manila Philippines), Suha M Al‐hassan (0000-0003-1034-3026, Department of Special Education Hashemite University Zarqa Jordan), Lei Chang (0000-0001-6457-0254, Department of Educational Psychology Chinese University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China), Kirby Deater‐deckard (0000-0003-4151-2152, Department of Psychology Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA USA), Kenneth A Dodge (0000-0001-5932-215X, Center for Child and Family Policy Duke University Durham NC USA), Paul Oburu (0000-0003-0711-509X, Department of Educational Psychology Maseno University Maseno Kenya), A T Skinner (0000-0001-8083-9487, Center for Child and Family Policy Duke University Durham NC USA), Emma Sorbring (0000-0003-3328-6538, Department of Psychology University West Trollhättan Sweden)
Year2016
Volume57
Issue7
Pages824-834
Publication date2016-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0021-9630 • E-ISSN: 1469-7610
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/jcpp.12477
PMID26511201
OpenAlexW1921946094
LanguageEN
Citations received72
References cited48

BACKGROUND: Research supports the beneficial role of prosocial behaviors on children's adjustment and successful youth development. Empirical studies point to reciprocal relations between negative parenting and children's maladjustment, but reciprocal relations between positive parenting and children's prosocial behavior are understudied. In this study reciprocal relations between two different dimensions of positive parenting (quality of the mother-child relationship and the use of balanced positive discipline) and children's prosocial behavior were examined in Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States. METHODS: Mother-child dyads (N = 1105) provided data over 2 years in two waves (Mage of child in wave 1 = 9.31 years, SD = 0.73; 50% female). RESULTS: A model of reciprocal relations between parenting dimensions, but not among parenting and children's prosocial behavior, emerged. In particular, children with higher levels of prosocial behavior at age 9 elicited higher levels of mother-child relationship quality in the following year. CONCLUSIONS: Findings yielded similar relations across countries, evidencing that being prosocial in late childhood contributes to some degree to the enhancement of a nurturing and involved mother-child relationship in countries that vary widely on sociodemographic profiles and psychological characteristics. Policy and intervention implications of this study are discussed.

Developmental psychology · Intervention (counseling) · Parenting styles · Positive parenting · Prosocial behavior · Reciprocal · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Psychology

Tools

Open DOISci-HubOpen Access