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Parental reflective functioning and internalizing symptoms predict altruistic prosocial behaviour in children

Daniel McGlade1,2,3, Helena Rutherford3, Eamon McCrory1,2

  • 1Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK.

The British Journal of Developmental Psychology
|February 18, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Parental reflective functioning (PRF) and child internalizing symptoms positively influence altruistic prosocial behavior in middle childhood. This highlights the importance of mental health and caregiving in developing children

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Mental Health
  • Parent-Child Interaction

Background:

  • Mental health significantly impacts social interactions and prosocial behavior during middle childhood.
  • Parental reflective functioning (PRF), the ability to understand a child's mental states, is a key aspect of caregiving.
  • The specific influence of PRF on children's prosocial behavior and mental health is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the longitudinal relationship between parental reflective functioning (PRF) and child altruistic prosocial behavior.
  • To examine how baseline PRF and child internalizing symptoms predict later altruistic behavior in middle childhood.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study with 233 children (ages 6-13) assessed at baseline and 1-year follow-up.
  • Path modeling used to analyze the interrelations between PRF, internalizing symptoms, and prosocial behavior.
  • Data collected on parental reflective functioning and child internalizing symptoms.

Main Results:

  • Baseline parental reflective functioning (PRF) was associated with lower child internalizing symptoms.
  • Both higher PRF and lower internalizing symptoms at baseline predicted increased altruistic prosocial behavior one year later.
  • Child mental health and caregiving experiences are significant predictors of altruistic behavior.

Conclusions:

  • Parental reflective functioning plays a crucial role in shaping children's mental health and prosocial development.
  • Interventions supporting parental reflective functioning may enhance children's altruistic behavior and well-being.
  • Understanding the interplay between mental health and caregiving is vital for fostering prosocial development in children.

Keywords:
altruismdepressiondictator gameinternalizing symptomsparental mentalisingparental reflective functioningprosocial behaviour

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