Because motivations for prosocial actions typically are unclear, sometimes even to actors but especially for observers, it is difficult to study prosocial motivation. This article reviews research that provides evidence regarding children's motives for prosocial behaviors. First, we present a heuristic model to classify motives on the dimension of…

Discusses the limitations of Campbell and Christopher's literature on moral development and altruism, claiming that the authors based some of their conclusions on questionable definitions, incorrect assumptions about others' assertions and beliefs, and reference to a limited portion of prosocial behavior. Suggests that Kantian presuppositions play…

Examined consistency in prosocial dispositions, using longitudinal data from preschool through early adulthood. Found that spontaneous prosocial behavior observed in preschools predicted actual prosocial behavior, other- and self-reported prosocial behavior, self-reported sympathy, and perspective taking in childhood to early adulthood. Prosocial…

Examined prosocial moral reasoning in children during an 11-year period. Found that (1) hedonistically oriented reasoning declined until adolescence; (2) reasoning based on others' needs increased until early adolescence and then declined; and (3) girls' overall reasoning was higher than boys'. Found some association of prosocial reasoning with…