Few studies on the development of forgiveness involved young children and adolescents, and very few involved samples from non-western countries. This study focused on the development of willingness to forgive a particular transgression in participants aged 4 to 12 years and from two different cultures: a South African culture (Mozambique) and a…

The current study was designed to address gaps in the existing literature by examining the role of discrimination and familism values as predictors of multiple forms of prosocial behaviors across time in a sample of recent immigrant Latino/a adolescents. Participants were 302 recent immigrant Latino/a adolescents (53.3% male; average age 14.51…

The purpose of this study was to examine how student perceptions of mindful teaching are associated with changes in students' mindfulness, self-compassion, and compassion for others across a single high school year. We hypothesized two pathways of effect: a direct path whereby when high school students perceive their teachers as demonstrating…

In response to growing interest in mindfulness as a support for educators, the current study sought to create and test a new multidimensional and multi-informant measure of teacher mindfulness in the classroom. To counter some of the limitations of context-general self-reports, we designed two theoretically based classroom-specific measures that…

The present investigation examined the relation between honesty, benevolence, and trust in children. One hundred and eight 7-, 9-, and 11-year-olds were read four story types in which the character's honesty (honesty or dishonest) was crossed with their intentions (helping or harming). Children rated the story character's honesty, benevolence, and…

Drawing on Eccles' expectancy-value model of achievement-related choices, we examined the personal aptitudes and motivational beliefs at 12th grade that move individuals toward or away from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations at age 29. In the first set of analyses, occupational and lifestyle values, math ability…

Investigated development of altruism in children according to a theoretical perspective that integrated Piagetian micromodels accounting for change from preoperational to operational stages. Subjects were 90 children of 5-12 years of age. Older children were more likely to consider an altruistic act in terms of gain construction than cost…

Explores the case for viewing altruism as an inherent part of human nature. Postulates an altruistic disposition or motive to act which is under the control of perceptual and cognitive processes. Presents psychological evidence complementing this view. Discusses social implications of a biological basis for human altruism. (RH)

Preschoolers' prosocial and aggressive behaviours were explored longitudinally, with a focus on the inferred underlying motives of these behaviours. Forty-four children (initially 22-40 months of age) were observed in naturalistic interactions with peers, during a 2-month period, for each of three consecutive years. Three categories of prosocial…

Examines the relationship between the presence and/or absence of perceived chronic deprivation of material and/or nonmaterial rewards and how this relationship affects altruistic behavior. Subjects were 108 seventh- and eighth-grade boys and girls. (MP)

Reviews evolutionary, psychoanalytic, social learning, and cognitive developmental approaches to the development of altruism and proposes a framework that integrates the approaches. The four approaches are compared in terms of three general issues: the origin of altruism, the conception of altruism as a state or a trait, and individual differences…