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Evidence suggests an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, particularly among emerging adults. However, theories on altruism born of suffering or adversarial growth suggest that we might also see prosocial behavior as a function of the pandemic, which may protect against mental health challenges. Because cultural values are central in determining prosocial behavior, the current study explored how cultural values were differentially associated with adaptive prosocial behaviors that might protect against mental health challenges. Participants for the current study included 5,682 young people aged 18–25 years from 14 different countries around the world (68% female, 62% college students). Path analyses suggested that there were few differences in patterns as a function of culture, but revealed that horizontal individualism and horizontal and vertical collectivism were indirectly associated with lower levels of depression via prosocial behavior toward family members. Discussion focuses on the importance of coping by strengthening family relationships via prosocial behavior during the pandemic.

Infants can help and share in the second year of life. However, there is limited knowledge as to variability in these behaviors as a function of target (e.g., caregiver vs. unfamiliar adult) and the influence of caregiver support on infant prosocial behavior. Infants (N = 268, 124 female) at 1-2 years of age (M = 1.47, SD = 0.27) and again at 2-3 years of age (M = 2.48, SD = 0.26) participated in a helping task (with the caregiver or unfamiliar experimenter), a sharing task (with either target), and a free-play observation with their primary caregiver from which caregiver support was coded. The racial and ethnic composition of the sample consisted of 3% Asian, 10% Black, 20% Hispanic, 59% White, 1% mixed race, and 6% "other." Median family annual income was $50,000 to $59,000, and median caregiver education level was "some college." Infant helping favored caregivers at both time points. However, infant sharing did not differ by target for 1-2-year-olds, but 2-3-year-olds shared more with their caregivers than an unfamiliar experimenter. Additionally, infants' behaviors antecedent to the act of helping or sharing (e.g., latency to respond, checking behaviors, and looking duration toward the target) differed by target. Concurrent relations between caregiver support and helping and sharing were moderated by age and differed by time point. Caregiver support for 1-2-year-olds also longitudinally predicted an age-moderated relation with 2-3-year-olds' helping toward an unfamiliar experimenter. Theoretical implications for the role of socialization in the emergence of helping and sharing behaviors are discussed.

The present study examined the intraindividual, longitudinal, cross-lagged associations between adolescents' perceptions of mothers' and fathers' psychologically controlling parenting and their self-regulation from ages 11-17. Using 7 waves of data involving 500 families and their adolescents (M[subscript age] = 11.29; SD = 1.01 at Wave 1), results indicated that adolescent-reported increases in mothers' and fathers' psychological control prospectively and uniquely predicted intraindividual decrements in their self-regulation, controlling for prior levels of self-regulation. Sex differences were largely absent except for one, where fathers' psychological control predicted adolescent females', but not males', declines in self-regulation, and where reverse associations manifested. Implications for intervention efforts are suggested for parents, educators, and practitioners, and future directions for research are discussed.

The present study examined the relations between financial entitlement and adolescent gratitude, prosocial behavior, and aggression; and the mediating role of sympathy. The sample consisted of 321 children (160 boys, M[subscript age at Time 2] = 12.29, SD = 1.02) from Times 2, 3, and 4 of the Flourishing Families Project. Adolescents reported on financial entitlement at Time 2, on sympathy at Time 3, and on gratitude, prosocial behavior, and aggression at Time 4. Structural equation model tests showed that adolescents' financial entitlement was negatively associated with sympathy, which in turn was positively associated with gratitude and prosocial behavior. Adolescents' financial entitlement was also directly and positively associated with aggression. Discussion focuses on implications for understanding the consequences of financial entitlement on adolescent behaviors.

The current study investigated how foundational conversations about the body and sexuality begin, how they develop longitudinally, and whether parental body talk varies as a function of characteristics of both the parent and child. Participants included 442 mothers (M age = 32.50, SD = 5.61, 93% heterosexual, 85% White) and 337 available father-figures (M age = 33.99, SD = 5.68, 98% heterosexual, 80% White), who were the parents of infants (age at Time 1 = 28.13 months, SD = 6.85, 52% male). Factor analyses suggested that parents engaged in positive, avoidant, and scolding body talk with their young children, and growth curve analyses suggested that frequency of positive body talk increased from when the child was age two to when they were age four for both mother- and father-figures. Results also suggested that the most consistent predictors of body talk included parents’ perceptions of whether their child was too young to discuss sexuality, and the child’s own questions and behaviors about their bodies and sexuality. The discussion focuses on the frequency of parental body talk and the active role of the child in the early socialization of healthy sexuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study used longitudinal person-centered analyses to understand how parent religiosity, parenting styles, and parent-adolescent sex communication interact in predicting adolescent sexual risk-taking over time. The sample included 681 adolescents and their parents (Mage = 15, at wave 5) from Waves 5 and 6 of the Flourishing Families Project. Variables capturing parent religiosity, parenting styles, and parent-adolescent sex communication were used as class indicators in a latent profile analysis. Three classes emerged: (1) Non-religious Authoritative families, (2) Religious Authoritarian families, and (3) Religious Authoritative families. The Non-religious Authoritative and Religious Authoritarian families did not significantly differ on later adolescent sexual risk-taking (controlling for prior sexual risk-taking), while the Religious Authoritative families had adolescents with significantly lower subsequent sexual risk-taking. These results demonstrate the complex ways in which religion, parenting, and sex communication interact in predicting adolescent sexual risk-taking. Thus, both the content and process of sexual socialization may be important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies examining the effects of exposure to prosocial media on positive outcomes are increasing in number and strength. However, existing meta-analyses use a broad definition of prosocial media that does not recognize the multidimensionality of prosocial behavior. The aim of the current study is to conduct a meta-analysis on the effects of exposure to prosocial media on prosocial behavior, aggression, and empathic concern while examining multiple moderators that the prosocial behavior literature suggests are important to our understanding of why individuals voluntarily help others (e.g., target, type, cost). Results from 72 studies involving 243 effect sizes revealed that exposure to prosocial media was related to higher levels of prosocial behavior and empathic concern and lower levels of aggressive behavior. Moderation analyses suggest that several moderators accounted for heterogeneity in the model, including age of participant, region, media type (active vs. passive), and study design. In terms of multidimensional moderators, prosocial media had stronger effects on prosocial behavior toward strangers than did any other target and on helping and prosocial thinking but not donating or volunteering. Comparisons with other meta-analyses on media effects are made and implications for parents, media producers, and researchers are discussed.

This study used a person-centred approach to consider profiles of parent–child sex communication. We sought to determine whether profiles of sex communication were distinguishable from one another based on aspects of both the parent and the child. Participants included 596 US young people (51% female at birth; Mage = 14.55, SD = 1.70, 56% white), and their mother (n = 596; Mage = 41.23, SD = 8.18; 64% white) and father (n = 354; Mage = 43.44, SD = 8.56; 62% white) figures. Analyses suggested three profiles of parent–child sex communication with mothers and four with fathers. Patterns were similar across profiles, with variation being primarily the degree to which parents reported timing, frequency and quality of communication. Parents who more strongly endorsed proactive and reactive parenting, and who reported more frequent and open conversations with their children were warmer and had higher levels of self-efficacy. They also had children who were more sexually active, but who had healthier sexual outcomes. Discussion focuses on the importance of considering multiple aspects of parent–child sex communication and highlights the importance of continuing to empower parents to discuss sex and sexuality with their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]