Correlates and Dimensions of Prosocial Behavior: A Study of Female Siblings with Their Mothers

This study investigated the maternal, sibling, and situational correlates of prosocial behavior between siblings and considered the relationship of prosocial to antisocial behavior. 50 mothers were videotaped with their first- and later-born daughters in a seminaturalistic game-playing setting. The relative absence of significant correlations among child prosocial behaviors supported the view that there are distinct dimensions of prosocial activity. Moderate but statistically significant correlations were observed between children's prosocial/antisocial behavior toward sisters and a variety of parenting behaviors considered relevant to the development of prosocial behavior. Of particular theoretical importance was the relationship between a mother's responsiveness to her child's expressed needs and infrequent-antisocial, frequent-prosocial interaction between her children. Although the findings held for both age groups, they were more frequently stronger and clearer for older children. A second major finding was an apparent sibling influence on prosocial and antisocial behavior, particularly for younger children. Attempts are made to describe patterns of influence among mothers and siblings from these correlational data.