Prosociality is a multifaceted concept referring to the many ways in which individuals care about and benefit others. Human prosociality is foundational to social harmony, happiness, and peace; it is therefore essential to understand its underpinnings, development, and cultivation. This handbook provides a state-of-the-art, in-depth account of scientific, theoretical, and practical knowledge regarding prosociality and its development. Its thirty chapters, written by international researchers in the field, elucidate key issues, including the development of prosociality across infancy, childhood, adolescence, and beyond; the biological, cognitive, emotional, and motivational mechanisms that underlie and influence prosociality; how different socialization agents and social contexts can affect children’s prosociality; and intervention approaches aimed at cultivating prosociality in children and adolescents. This knowledge can benefit researchers, students, practitioners, and policy makers seeking to nurture socially responsible, caring youth.

List of Figures page x

List of Contributors xi

Part I Development of Prosociality

1 Introduction: What Is Prosocial Development? Definition, History, Mechanisms 3

2 Developmental Theories of Prosociality 17

3 The Role of Genetics in the Development of Prosocial Behavior 37

4 Neurobiology of Prosociality: Investigating the Link between Empathy and Prosocial Behavior in the Brain 61

5 The Developmental Psychophysiology of Prosociality 85

6 The Origins of Prosociality from a Developmental and Comparative Perspective 108

7 Prosocial Behavior in Infancy and Early Childhood 127

8 Prosociality in Middle Childhood 145

9 Prosocial Behaviors in Adolescence 163

10 Prosocial Development across the Lifespan 189

Part II Antecedents and Mechanisms of Prosociality

11 The Motives of Prosocial Behavior 209

12 Morality, Values, and Prosociality across Development: Intertwined yet Distinct 233

13 Emotions and Prosociality 256

14 Social-Cognitive Development and Early Prosocial Behavior 275

15 Temperament and Prosocial Behavior 300

16 Gender and Prosocial Development 320

17 Assessing Prosociality: An Early Ontogeny Perspective 335

Part III Development of Prosociality in Context

18 Parenting and Children's Prosociality: Multiple Pathways to Socialization 361

19 Sibling Influences on Prosociality: From Infancy to Adolescence 388

20 Prosocial Behavior, Peer Relationships, and Friendships 409

21 Children's Intergroup Prosocial Behavior: The Role of Group Stereotypes 427

22 Prosocial Behavior in School Contexts 442

23 Community and Neighborhood Influences on Prosociality in Children and Youth 459

24 Culture and Prosociality 477

25 Prosocial Media N 501

Part IV Applications: Nurturing Prosociality

26 Fostering Prosociality in the Family Context: A Review of Parent-and Family-Focused Interventions Promoting Children's Effortful Control and Prosocial Tendencies 517

27 Prosociality and Civic Engagement 542

28 Prosocial Behavior, Positive Youth Development, and Character Virtues: A Dynamic, Relational Developmental Systems-Based Model 560

29 Relational Practices of Care to Nurture Prosociality and Advance Policy 577

30 Toward a New Era of Prosociality Research: Priorities, Challenges, and Possibilities 600

Afterword: A Reminiscence on Origins of Prosociality and Antisociality 614

Index 631

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