What is Prosocial Behavior?

growandthrive on November 13, 2024

What is Prosocial Behavior?

Prosocial behavior is doing something to benefit, help, or care for someone else because you believe that other people’s feelings and experiences are important.
This may look like…

  • A child giving a crying friend their favorite stuffed animal.
  • When a child helps a friend up when they fall.
  • When a child shares their snack with a friend who does not have one.

These behaviors are also known as altruistic behaviors, which is simply doing good, and not expecting something good in return. These behaviors can began to show as early as two but tend to show in the preschool age groups.

What are some of the ways parents can promote prosocial behavior?

  • When reading books at home with your child, ask them different questions about the characters in the book. For example, “Why do you think he did that” or “ How do you think he feels”.
  • Think out loud, it can be very beneficial for your child to hear how you deal with
    emotions and solve problems. For example, “Oops I accidentally dropped an egg shell into the mix, let’s see if I can get it out, if not I will just have to start over”.
  • Pointing out prosocial behaviors as you see them. This may sound like, “I liked the way that nice lady held open the door for us”.

Why are prosocial skills important?


These skills can help with children’s social and emotional health. It can impact:

  • Ability to follow directions
  • Academic performance
  • Attitude
  • Emotional state
  • Motivation

Along with that it can also help develop healthy life and relationship skill such as:

  • Avoiding negative interactions
  • Cooperation
  • Social cohesion
  • Emotional maturity
  • Building and maintaining healthy relationships

How Prosocial Behavior Impacts Development

Prosocial behavior plays a significant role in a child’s development, shaping how they interact with others and manage their own emotions. When children engage in prosocial actions, they learn valuable lessons about empathy, compassion, and understanding. These early experiences often lay the foundation for strong emotional intelligence, helping children recognize and respond to the feelings of others while becoming more aware of their own emotions. Research shows that children who demonstrate higher levels of prosocial behavior are more likely to excel in areas of cooperation, communication, and conflict resolution—all essential skills for future success in personal and professional relationships.

Strategies for Encouraging Prosocial Behavior in Children

In addition to modeling and recognizing prosocial actions, parents and caregivers can adopt other approaches to encourage these behaviors:

  • Encourage Team Activities: Engaging children in group activities, such as team sports, group art projects, or cooperative games, helps them understand the importance of working together toward a shared goal. These activities foster skills like sharing, taking turns, and communicating effectively.

  • Set Up Volunteering Opportunities: For slightly older children, volunteering in community activities, like helping at a food bank or cleaning up a park, can help them experience firsthand the impact of helping others. It instills a sense of responsibility and the joy of giving back without expecting a reward.

  • Teach Conflict Resolution: When disagreements arise, encourage children to listen to each other’s perspectives and come up with a solution together. This helps them learn that there are often multiple ways to solve a problem and that understanding others’ viewpoints is important in maintaining healthy relationships.

Challenges in Fostering Prosocial Behavior

It’s natural for children to focus on their own needs, especially at younger ages, which can sometimes make it challenging to encourage prosocial behavior. Additionally, environmental factors, like exposure to aggression or stress, can impact a child’s ability to empathize with others. Patience, consistency, and modeling positive behaviors are essential, as children often learn by observing and imitating the actions of trusted adults.

Written by Alyssa Noel