Young children's behavioral responses to the distress of others /
Abstract
The relationship between child temperament and parenting factors in the
development of prosocial behavior during the toddler years was investigated by
examining children's helping behaviors and responses to the distress of others as
observed and as reported by mothers and teachers. These behaviors were linked to the
sociability, emotionality, and attention shifting of toddlers. Children who are relatively
high in characteristics such as language skills and sociability appear more likely to exhibit
competent prosocial behaviors than children who are relatively low in these skills.
Prosocial competence was also linked to maternal comfort, maternal control over
children's emotions, and family expressiveness, although the latter two variables related
to children's behaviors differently, depending on whether children were low or high in
emotional intensity.