Top

Gepubliceerd in:

12-05-2015 | Empirical Research

Why and How to Promote Adolescents’ Prosocial Behaviors: Direct, Mediated and Moderated Effects of the CEPIDEA School-Based Program

Auteurs: Gian Vittorio Caprara, Bernadette Paula Luengo Kanacri, Antonio Zuffianò, Maria Gerbino, Concetta Pastorelli

Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Youth and Adolescence | Uitgave 12/2015

Abstract

Prosocial behaviors are considered integral to intervention goals that seek to promote successful youth development. This study examines the effect of a school-based intervention program entirely designed to promote prosocial behaviors called Promoting Prosocial and Emotional Skills to Counteract Externalizing Problems in Adolescence (Italian acronym CEPIDEA). The CEPIDEA curriculum was incorporated into routine educational practices and included five major components that reflect the personal determinants of prosocial behavior during adolescence. The present study assessed 151 students (48.7 % female; M _age = 12.4) of the intervention school and 140 students (51.2 % female; M _age = 13.0) of the control school at three points. A multi-group latent curve analysis revealed that the intervention group, compared with the control group, showed an increase in prosocial behavior, interpersonal self-efficacy beliefs, and agreeableness along with a decrease in physical aggression above and beyond the normative developmental trend of the these variables. Participants of the intervention also obtained higher grades than the control group at the end of middle school. Moderation effects for prosocial behavior and agreeableness evidenced that those who benefited most from the intervention were those adolescents with lower normative development of prosocial behavior, low initial level of agreeableness, and high initial level of physical aggression. The results also showed that the increase of prosocial behaviors mediated the decline of verbal aggression in adolescents who had attended the intervention. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at promoting prosocial behaviors while having the potential to support positive outcomes may also counteract or redirect negative trajectories of functioning.

vorige artikel Peer Influence, Peer Status, and Prosocial Behavior: An Experimental Investigation of Peer Socialization of Adolescents’ Intentions to Volunteer

volgende artikel Aggressive and Prosocial? Examining Latent Profiles of Behavior, Social Status, Machiavellianism, and Empathy

In the present study, we used a broader measure of interpersonal self-efficacy that is not strictly limited to the empathic self-efficacy beliefs evaluated in Caprara et al. (2014).

The checklist was a two-page assessment tool in which the following was reported: (a) the level of achieving the different specific aims of the session; (b) the level of students’ involvement in the activities proposed; (c) strengths and criticisms observed in the implementation of the session; (d) specific responsibilities assumed by the members of the staff and the teacher; and (d) utility of timing and materials (see Luengo Kanacri et al. 2014a).

The original model-building process indicated by Muthén and Curran (1997) included five steps, in which the last one is the sensitivity analysis (i.e., the evaluation of comparability of the intervention and control groups). In our evaluation approach, we performed the sensitivity analysis in Step 3.

The one-unit increment of the first two factor loadings represented the 6-month interval between the pretest and the posttest, whereas the two-unit increment of the last factor loading represented the 12-month interval between the posttest and the follow-up.

In order to allow the nonlinear change model to be overidentified, we tested the plausibility of constraining the residual variances of the observed variables to be equal over time.

Amna, E. (2012). How is civic engagement developed over time? Emerging answers from a multidisciplinary field. Journal of Adolescence, 35, 611–627. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2012.04.011.CrossRefPubMed

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.

Bandura, A., Barbaranelli, C., Caprara, G. V., & Pastorelli, C. (1996). Mechanisms of moral disengagement in the exercise of moral agency. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 364. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.71.2.364.CrossRef

Bandura, A., Pastorelli, C., Barbaranelli, C., & Caprara, G. V. (1999). Self-efficacy pathways to childhood depression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 258. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.76.2.258.CrossRefPubMed

Baraldi, A. N., & Enders, C. K. (2010). An introduction to modern missing data analyses. Journal of School Psychology, 48, 5–37. doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2009.10.001.CrossRefPubMed

Barbaranelli, C., Caprara, G. V., Rabasca, A., & Pastorelli, C. (2003). A questionnaire for measuring the Big Five in late childhood. Personality and Individual Differences, 34, 645–664. doi:10.1016/S0191-8869(02)00051-X.CrossRef

Barbaranelli, C., Fida, R., Paciello, M., Di Giunta, L., & Caprara, G. V. (2008). Assessing personality in early adolescence through self-report and other-ratings: A multitrait-multimethod analysis of the BFQ-C. Personality and Individual Differences, 44, 876–886. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2007.10.014.CrossRef

Battistich, V., Schaps, E., Watson, M., Solomon, D., & Lewis, C. (2000). Effects of the Child Development Project on students’ drug use and other problem behaviors. Journal of Primary Prevention, 21, 75–99. doi:10.1023/A:1007057414994.CrossRef

Batson, C. D. (2011). Altruism in humans. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Bollen, K. A., & Curran, P. J. (2006). Latent curve models: A structural equation approach. Hoboken: Wiley. doi:10.1002/0471746096.

Caprara, G. V., Alessandri, G., & Eisenberg, N. (2012). Prosociality: The contribution of traits, values and self-efficacy beliefs. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102, 1289–1303. doi:10.1037/a0025626.CrossRefPubMed

Caprara, G. V., Barbaranelli, C., Pastorelli, C., Bandura, A., & Zimbardo, P. (2000). Prosocial foundations of children’s academic achievement. Psychological Science, 11, 302–306. doi:10.1111/1467-9280.00260.CrossRefPubMed

Caprara, G. V., Luengo Kanacri, B. P., Gerbino, M., Zuffianò, A., Alessandri, G., Vecchio, G. M., et al. (2014). Positive effects of promoting prosocial behavior in early adolescence evidence from a school-based intervention. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 38, 386–396. doi:10.1177/0165025414531464.CrossRef

Caprara, G. V., Steca, P., Zelli, A., & Capanna, C. (2005). A new scale for measuring adults’ prosocialness. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 21, 77–89. doi:10.1027/1015-5759.21.2.77.CrossRef

Carlo, G., Fabes, R. A., Laible, D., & Kupanoff, K. (1999). Early adolescence and prosocial/moral behavior II: The role of social and contextual influences. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 19, 133–147. doi:10.1177/0272431699019002001.CrossRef

Cheong, J., MacKinnon, D. P., & Khoo, S. T. (2003). Investigation of mediational processes using parallel process latent growth curve modeling. Structural Equation Modeling, 10, 238–262. doi:10.1207/S15328007SEM1002_5.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (1979). Quasi-experimentation: Design and analysis for field settings. Chicago, Illinois: Rand McNally.

Council of Europe. (2010). Council of Europe charter on education for democratic citizenship and human rights education. Strasbourg, France: Council of Europe Publishing Editions.

Crothers, L. M., & Levinson, E. M. (2004). Assessment of Bullying: A review of methods and instruments. Journal of Counseling and Development, 82, 496–503. doi:10.1002/j.1556-6678.2004.tb00338.x.CrossRef

Curran, P. J., & Muthén, B. O. (1999). The application of latent curve analysis to testing developmental theories in intervention research. American Journal of Community Psychology, 27, 567–595. doi:10.1023/A:1022137429115.CrossRefPubMed

Di Giunta, L., Eisenberg, N., Kupfer, A., Steca, P., Tramontano, C., & Caprara, G. V. (2010). Assessing perceived empathic and social self-efficacy across countries. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 26, 77–86. doi:10.1027/1015-5759/a000012.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

Dodge, K.A., Coie, J.D., & Lynam, D. (2006). Aggression and antisocial behavior in youth. In W. Damon, R.M. Lerner (series ed.) and N. Eisenberg (volume ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 3. Social, emotional, and personality development, 6th ed., (pp. 719–788). New York: Wiley.

Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82, 405–432. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x.CrossRefPubMed

Eccles, J. S., & Barber, B. L. (1999). Student council, volunteering, basketball, or marching band what kind of extracurricular involvement matters? Journal of Adolescent Research, 14, 10–43. doi:10.1177/0743558499141003.CrossRef

Eisenberg, N., Fabes. R.A., & Spinrad, T.L. (2006). Prosocial behavior. In W. Damon, R.M. Lerner (series ed.) and N. Eisenberg (volume ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 3. Social, emotional, and personality development, 6th ed., (pp. 646–718). New York: Wiley.

Fairchild, A. J., & MacKinnon, D. P. (2009). A general model for testing mediation and moderation effects. Prevention Science, 10, 87–99. doi:10.1007/s11121-008-0109-6.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed

Graziano, W. G., & Eisenberg, N. (1997). Agreeableness: A dimension of Personality. In R. Hogan, J. Johnson, & S. B. Rigss (Eds.), Handbook of personality psychology (pp. 795–824). San Diego: Academic Press.CrossRef

Greenberg, M. T. (2010). School-based prevention: current status and future challenges. Effective Education, 2, 27–52. doi:10.1080/19415531003616862.CrossRef

Greenberg, M. T., Weissberg, R. P., O’Brien, M. U., Zins, J. E., Fredericks, L., Resnik, H., & Elias, M. J. (2003). Enhancing school-based prevention and youth development through coordinated social, emotional, and academic learning. American Psychologist, 58, 466. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.58.6-7.466.CrossRefPubMed

Hayes, A. F., & Scharkow, M. (2013). The relative trustworthiness of inferential tests of the indirect effect in statistical mediation analysis does method really matter? Psychological Science,. doi:10.1177/0956797613480187.PubMed

Holsen, I., Smith, B. H., & Frey, S. K. (2008). Outcomes of the social competence program Second Step in Norwegian elementary schools. School Psychology International, 29, 71–88. doi:10.1177/0143034307088504.CrossRef

Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6, 1–55. doi:10.1080/10705519909540118.CrossRef

Hutchings, J., Bywater, T., Gridley, N., Whitaker, C., Martin-Forbes, P., & Gruffyd, S. (2012). The incredible years therapeutic social and emotional skills program: A pilot study. School Psychology International, 33, 285–293. doi:10.1177/0143034311415899.CrossRef

January, A. M., Casey, R. J., & Paulson, D. (2011). A meta-analysis of classroom-wide interventions to build social skills: Do they work? School Psychology Review, 40, 242–256.

Jennings, P. A., & Greenberg, M. T. (2009). The prosocial classroom: Teacher social and emotional competence in relation to child and classroom outcomes. Review of Educational Research, 79, 491–525. doi:10.3102/0034654308325693.CrossRef

Kline, R. B. (2010). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford.

Kokko, K., Tremblay, R. E., Lacourse, E., Nagin, D. S., & Vitaro, F. (2006). Trajectories of prosocial behavior and physical aggression in middle childhood: Links to adolescent school dropout and physical violence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 16, 403–428. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2006.00500.x.CrossRef

Lerner, R. M., Lerner, J. V., Almerigi, J., & Theokas, C. (2005). Positive youth development: A view of the issues. Journal of Early Adolescence, 25, 10–16. doi:10.1177/0272431604273211.CrossRef

Luengo Kanacri, B. P., Pastorelli, C., Eisenberg, N., Zuffianò, A., & Caprara, G. V. (2013). The Development of prosociality from adolescence to early adulthood: The role of effortful control. Journal of Personality, 81, 302–312. doi:10.1111/jopy.12001.CrossRefPubMed

Luengo Kanacri, B.P., Pastorelli, C., & Vecchio, G. (2014a). Implementare e Valutare gli Interventi di Promozione dei Comportamenti Prosociali [Implementing and Assessing Interventions for Promoting Prosocial Behaviors]. In GV. Caprara, M. Gerbino, B.P. Luengo Kanacri, G. Vecchio (Eds.), Educare alla prosocialità. Buone prassi per la Scuola. [Teaching Prosociality. School Evidence-Based Program], (pp. 64–85). Rome: Pearson Editors.

Luengo Kanacri, B. P., Pastorelli, C., Zuffianò, A., Eisenberg, N., Ceravolo, R., & Caprara, G. V. (2014b). Trajectories of prosocial behaviors conducive to civic outcomes during the transition to adulthood: the role of family dynamics. Journal of Adolescence, 37, 1529–1539. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.07.002.CrossRef

McLeod, J. M., & Shah, D. V. (2009). Communication and political socialization: challenges and opportunities for research. Political Communication, 26, 1–10. doi:10.1080/10584600802686105.CrossRef

Muthén, B., & Curran, P. J. (1997). General longitudinal modeling of individual differences in experimental designs: A latent variable framework for analysis and power estimation. Psychological Methods, 2, 371–402. doi:10.1037/1082-989X.2.4.371.CrossRef

Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (2012). Mplus user’s guide. Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.

Nantel-Vivier, A., Kokko, K., Caprara, G. V., Pastorelli, C., Gerbino, M., Paciello, M., et al. (2009). Prosocial development from childhood to adolescence: A multi-informant perspective with Canadian and Italian longitudinal studies. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50, 590–598. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.02039.x.CrossRefPubMed

Pulkkinen, L., & Tremblay, R. E. (1992). Patterns of boys’ social adjustment in two cultures and at different ages: A longitudinal perspective. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 15, 527–553. doi:10.1177/016502549201500406.CrossRef

Raskauskas, J. L., Gregory, J., Harvey, S. T., Rifshana, F., & Evans, I. M. (2010). Bullying among primary school children in New Zealand: Relationships with prosocial behaviour and classroom climate. Educational Research, 52, 1–13. doi:10.1080/00131881003588097.CrossRef

Schwartz, S. H. (2010). Basic Values: How they motivate and inhibit prosocial behavior. In M. Mikulincer & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Prosocial motives, emotions, and behavior: The better angels of our nature (pp. 221–241). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.CrossRef

Schwartz, S. J., Phelps, E., Lerner, J. V., Huang, S., Brown, H., Lewin-Bizan, S., et al. (2011). Promotion as prevention: Positive youth development as protective against tobacco, alcohol, illicit drug, and sex initiation. Applied Developmental Science, 14, 197–211. doi:10.1080/10888691.2010.516186.CrossRef

Visconti, K. J., & Troop-Gordon, W. (2010). Prospective relations between children’s behavioral responses to peer victimization and their socioemotional adjustment. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 31, 261–272. doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2010.05.003.CrossRef

Wentzel, K. R. (1993). Does being good make the grade? Social behavior and academic competence in middle school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85, 357–364. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.85.2.357.CrossRef

Yates, M., & Youniss, J. (1996). A critical review of community service as a developmental mediator. Social Development, 5, 85–111. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9507.1996.tb00073.x.CrossRef

Young, F. W., & Glasgow, N. (1998). Voluntary social participation and health. Research on Aging, 20, 339–362. doi:10.1177/0164027598203004.CrossRef

Youniss, J., McLellan, J. A., & Yates, M. (1999). Religion, community service, and identity in American youth. Journal of Adolescence, 22, 243–253. doi:10.1006/jado.1999.0214.CrossRefPubMed

Zuffianò, A., Alessandri, G., Luengo Kanacri, B. P., Pastorelli, C., Milioni, M., Ceravolo, R., et al. (2014). The relation between prosociality and self-esteem from middle adolescence to young adulthood. Personality and Individual Differences, 63, 24–29. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2014.01.041.CrossRef

Titel: Why and How to Promote Adolescents’ Prosocial Behaviors: Direct, Mediated and Moderated Effects of the CEPIDEA School-Based Program
Auteurs: Gian Vittorio Caprara
Bernadette Paula Luengo Kanacri
Antonio Zuffianò
Maria Gerbino
Concetta Pastorelli
Publicatiedatum: 12-05-2015
Uitgeverij: Springer US
Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Youth and Adolescence / Uitgave 12/2015
Print ISSN: 0047-2891
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-6601
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-015-0293-1

Bohn Stafleu van Loghum

Deel dit onderdeel of sectie (kopieer de link)

Abstract

Log in om toegang te krijgen

Andere artikelen Uitgave 12/2015

Jamshid Beheshti and Andrew Large (Eds.): The Information Behavior of a New Generation: Children and Teens in the 21st Century

Aggressive and Prosocial? Examining Latent Profiles of Behavior, Social Status, Machiavellianism, and Empathy

Victim Reports of Bystander Reactions to In-Person and Online Peer Harassment: A National Survey of Adolescents

Bystander Action in Situations of Dating and Sexual Aggression: A Mixed Methodological Study of High School Youth

Prosocial Bystander Behavior in Bullying Dynamics: Assessing the Impact of Social Capital

A Longitudinal Evaluation of the Positive Action Program in a Low-Income, Racially Diverse, Rural County: Effects on Self-Esteem, School Hassles, Aggression, and Internalizing Symptoms