The goal of this study was to investigate the relevant variables of the prosocial behavior of young children. The inter-relations between children's age, gender, the degree of secure attachment, the form of breast feeding, and prosocial behavior, were...
The goal of this study was to investigate the relevant variables of the prosocial behavior of young children. The inter-relations between children's age, gender, the degree of secure attachment, the form of breast feeding, and prosocial behavior, were explored. Also examined was the relative power of influence of children's age, gender, the degree of secure attachment and the form of breast feeding on prosocial behavior.
In order to accomplish this study's purpose, 153 participants were selected among those children who were enrolled in ldndergartens and day-care centers located in Busan, and they wem all three to five years old.
The Eindings of this study can be summarized as follows.
First, age was relevant to the degree of secure attachment, to prosocial behavior generally and to three sub-categories of prosocial behavior(assisting, cooperating, and maldng others frei comfortable) specifically. Gender was significantly related to assisting, and the form of breast feeding was significantly related to prosocial behavior generally and to cooperating specifically. Prosocial behavior generally, was highly relevant to each sub-category of prosocial behavior. However, there was no significant relation between the degree of secure attachment and the other relevant variables.
Second, refen-ing to the relative power of influence of children's age, gender, the degree of secure attachment and the form of breast feeding, on prosocial behavior, age and gender, in order, had the most influence. As to the influence on the sub-categories of prosocial behavior, assisting had a power of influence on gender and age, in order, only gender had an influence on sharing, and age and the form of breast feeding, in order, had the most influence on cooperating. Only age had an influence on malcing others feel comfortable.