PERSPECTIVE-TAKING, VALUES, ASSERTIVENESS AND CHILDREN'S PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR

JULIE ANN LARRIEU, Purdue University

Abstract

Ninety-two male and female second- and third-grade children were given a battery of tests including perspective-taking measures, a self-report values inventory, and assertiveness assessments. Teacher and peer ratings of assertiveness were also obtained. The children's prosocial and assertive behaviors were observed in the familiar environment of the school during free play and unstructured classtime over a period of several weeks. The children were also given the opportunity to help in a situation engineered to be credible in terms of the goals of the school and the needs of the community. They were asked to give up recess time to help a county worker sort coupons to be distributed to poor families in the area. The data were analyzed using multiple regression procedures. The potential predictors included perspective-taking skill, prosocial value orientation, level of assertiveness, sex, and grade. The results indicated that the subjects who spontaneously helped most in daily interactions were assertive children who valued helping others and taking responsibility for the self and others. The youngsters who helped most after being asked for assistance also valued others highly, but these subjects were unassertive, which suggests that helping following being asked to do so is a form of compliance. A sex difference was obtained in that girls were more helpful than boys. The results of the coupon sorting measures were more complex. Generally, the children who more highly valued helping others, and who were more assertive, gave up more recesses and sorted more coupons in the helping sessions. Girls assisted more often than boys, and third-graders were more helpful than second-graders; however, sex and grade differences were not evidenced on all tasks. The results are discussed in terms of an interactive model which addresses the simultaneous contribution of a variety of personality and situational characteristics to the manifestation of helping.

Degree

Ph.D.

Subject Area

Developmental psychology

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