Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

Introduction:
The phrase pro-social behaviour may be new for many of you, however; you may be familiar with some of the behaviours found in this area of social development. This lecture will help you to understand the building blocks of pro-social behaviour and the fact that children are born with the capacity for concern for others. While this is encouraging it is important to realize that this part of the child's personality does not develop automatically. Adults have to carefully nurture pro-social behaviour in children and this lecture will help us understand how this should happen.

This lecture and chapter in your textbook focuses on several practical strategies adults can use to help children become altruistic. These strategies are based on the information covered in the first chapter of the textbook. That chapter dealt with the general purposes of adult influence and this chapter uses that information for developing altruism. Parents and caregivers tend to express great concern regarding crisis-type problems such aggression. This alarm about aggression is justifiable but realizing that one of the best things that can be done to minimize or prevent aggression is to foster pro-social behaviour.

Learning objectives:
> Understand and explain how children develop concern for others.

> Understand and explain the terms directly related to the concept of pro-social behaviour and of altruism.

Body of the lecture:
Pro-social Behaviour – is behaviour that benefits another person or animal. (sharing, helping, cooperating)

Altruism is unselfish behaviour.

See pg. 253 – Figure 10.1 Pro-social Behaviour
All children are capable of sharing and helping, but a variety of factors influence their actual level of pro-social behaviour. Children will more readily exhibit prosocial behaviour if it has been modeled for them.

People will act in a pro-social manner for a variety of reasons:
· genuine concern
· empathy
· sense of responsibility to relieve the other’s distress
· need for social approval
· external pressure
· relieving one’s own feeling of sadness, anger, or guilt
· desire for social interaction

A child needs three competencies for pro-social development:
1. cognitive
2. emotional
3. specific skills

See pg. 257 Figure 10.2

Cognitive competencies include:
· seeing oneself as separate from others
· perspective taking skills
· seeing oneself as being able to make things happen
· possessing language skills
· possessing memory skills

Emotional competencies:
Children must have emotional capability in order to respond to the needs of other. They need to 'decode' (understand) the emotion. This skill develop in infancy and continue to develop throughout childhood. Another emotional competency children must have is empathy. Not all children will develop high levels of empathy.

Skill development:
Children need to know how to help others and this requires specific skills. Young children have a better chance of developing these skills if they experience a secure attachment with their primary caregivers and they have experienced pro-social behaviour.

See pg. 260 Figure 10.3 This figure shows how very young children illustrate prosocial behaviour.

How should we guide children’s prosocial behaviour?
- illustrate developmentally appropriate strategies
- model, be consistent and practice what you preachhelp children develop emotional scripts through interactions with others, reading and the media
- clearly state expectations for prosocial behaviour
- accept children's efforts to help and cooperate

Give children age appropriate responsibilities. (This would show authoritative caregiving.)
↪ Use positive discipline strategies such as communicating expectations, giving suggestions, encouraging child to take other’s perspective
↪ Labeling pro-social behaviour (i.e. cooperate, team, helpers)
↪ Discussing pro-social behaviour to promote children to focus on and think of specific behaviours that are helpful and valuable (i.e. sharing, cooperation)
↪ Practicing pro-social behaviour (i.e. play cooperative games)
↪ Recognizing and encourage pro-social behaviour through observations (be sincere and encourage children’s actions)
↪ Encouraging group behaviour will promote friendliness and decrease competitive behaviours

Benefits of encouraging prosocial behaviour in children include:

o increased competence
o mutual helping
o shared work
o pleasant, friendly, relaxing atmosphere

For tips on working with parents, see page 269 of your textbook.

In summary:
As a professional you can help children become compassionate, helpful, kind and cooperative. In order to do this you need be a positive model and remember the specific competencies and skills that make it possible for a child to act in a prosocial manner. The strategies we can put into place to help foster pro-social behaviours coincide with the developmentally appropriate practices we have discussed in earlier lectures. Use this information to assist in building relationships with the children in your programs and help them to develop the skills necessary for becoming emotionally intelligent people.

Text Readings:
Chapter 10
Please read Chapter11 for next week.

Learning activity:
Complete the chapter review.