Beyond good and evil: what motivations underlie children's prosocial behavior?

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• The development of prosocial behavior in children is explained by various theories.
• Some theories suggest prosociality is learned, while others propose an innate, indiscriminate drive that becomes selective with age.
• A third perspective posits early prosocial behaviors are strategic, mirroring adult motivations like reputation enhancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review empirical and observational research on children's helping and sharing behaviors within the first five years of life.
• To identify factors influencing these behaviors and understand children's underlying prosocial motivations.
• To compare developmental findings with adult prosociality literature, identifying parallels and research gaps.

Main Methods:

• Review of empirical and observational studies on children's prosocial behaviors (helping, sharing) in early childhood (0-5 years).
• Analysis of factors influencing these behaviors.
• Comparative analysis with adult prosociality literature.

Main Results:

• Children's prosocial behaviors are influenced by various factors.
• Early prosociality may be selective and driven by multiple motivations, not solely intrinsic or extrinsic.
• Parallels exist between early and adult prosocial motivations, such as strategic considerations.

Conclusions:

• Children's prosocial behaviors are complex and likely driven by multiple, potentially strategic, motivations from an early age.
• The development of prosociality is not a simple progression from indiscriminate to selective, but involves nuanced motivational factors.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the multifaceted nature of prosocial development in early childhood.