Received: 29 January 2019
Accepted: 30 April 2019
Abstract: The optimization of interpersonal relationships on school context requires an early cooperation’ awareness through mutual aid, particularly through the promotion of pro-social behavior, which protect personal and collective cooperation and well-being. Given that the adolescence period is a relevant phase for personal identity construction and social development, the school’s investment on pro-social behaviors acquires a significant relevance on adolescents’ development and personal well-being. In fact, the constant society mutation demands the recurrent confrontation of new challenges, whose overcoming rests on developmental interpersonal skills’ repertoire that promote psychosocial adjustment and perceived quality of life (Del Prette & Del Prette, 2005). These competencies can be conceptualized as competences for life, since they play a relevant role on adaptation to different contexts, favoring progressive adjustment throughout life (Remédios, 2010). The present study aimed to contribute to the exploration of the association between the interpersonal trust ‘level on others, the empathy‘level and the pro-social behaviors frequency among adolescents.
Keywords: pro-social behavior, empathy, interpersonal trust beliefs on peers.
RESEARCH’ OBJECTIVES
The interpersonal relationship ‘optimization on school context requires an early advantages’ awareness of cooperation and mutual aid with the pairs/ colleagues, in order to promote pro-social behavior, collective cooperation and well-being. Considering that adolescence period is a relevant phase for personal identity construction and social development, the school’s investment on pro-social behaviors acquires a significant relevance on adolescents’ development and personal well- being. In fact, the constant society mutation demands recurrent confrontation with new challenges, who’s overcoming requires skills’ repertoire on interpersonal relationships, in order to promote psychosocial adjustment to contexts’ life and consequent quality of welfare (Del Prette & Del Prette, 2005). These competencies may to be conceptualized as competences for life, since they play a relevant role on personal adaptation to different contexts, favoring progressive adjustment throughout life (Remédios, 2010). The present study aimed to verify the association between the interpersonal trust on the closest colleague, the empathy and the pro-social behavior.
SAMPLE/PARTICIPANTS
The sample embrace 181 Portuguese students: 66 from the 7th grade school, 65 from the 8th grade and 50 from the 9th grade - 98 males (54%) and 83 females (45.9%) – cf. Table 1
Tabla 1
Sample Participants
METHODOLOGY- INSTRUMENTS
The target variables were collectively collected on the classroom context, through the following instruments:
Sociobiographic Questionnaire - Portuguese adaptation of the Personal Data Form Rohner, 2008);
Generalized Trust Belief Scale for Adolescents - CGA-A (Vale-Dias & Franco-Borges, 2014) – Portuguese adaptation of Generalized Trust Beliefs (Randall & at. all, 2010);
Basic Empathy Scale - BES (Nobre-Lima, Rijo & Matias, 2011);
4) Experimental Portuguese version of Prosocial Behavior Scale (Pastorelli et al., 1997);
MAIN RESULTS
Considering previous data (Auné et al., 2014) it was confirmed that the adolescents’ girls are more likely to invest on long-term interpersonal relationships and to show greater involvement and concern about their colleagues’ academic difficulties, revealing a higher prosocial behavior than the adolescents’boys (Auné et al., 2014);Considering empathy as the main antecedent of pro-social behavior - given its underlying characteristics - namely the understanding and concern levels with close others - it was expected and verified that adolescents’ empathy levels are positively associated to pro-social behavior.
Given previous literature (Marques, 2014, Rotenberg et al., 2005; Rotenberg, 2010a), it was expected that empathy’ levels and interpersonal trust on peers are predictors of prosocial behavior, which has been confirmed.
4) Considering previous verification that female adolescents are more likely to manifest pro-social behaviors than boys (Poletto et al., 2009), it was analyzed the differentiation of the following variables according to sex: H1b): Pro-Social Behavior; H1b) Empathy; and H1c) Interpersonal Trust on pairs, being higher near the girls.
5) Previous research has already pointed to the predictor value of Empathy (Rotenberg et al., 2005; Rotenberg, 2010a; Marques, 2014) and Interpersonal Trust on the others.
Tabla 2
Sample’ Distribuicion by age
MAIN CONCLUSIONS
The optimization of interpersonal relationships on school context requires early awareness of the added value of cooperation and mutual help among adolescents and teachers, in particular through the promotion of pro-social behavior and mutual cooperation among all, particularly by encouraging proactive behavior and / or cooperation. Considering that adolescence is a relevant period for identity’ construction, namely through positive interpersonal relationships and a responsive context directed to mutual cooperation and well-being on the school and at home contexts, it seems pertinent to invest on others and their wellbeing.
References
Del Prette, A. (2005). & Del Prette, Z.A.P. (2005). Habilidades sociais: Conceitos (Prette, 2005).
Bell, V. (2016). Prosocial Behaviour. Centre of Execellence for Early Child hood Development, 4.
Bierhoff, H. W. (2005). Prosocial behaviour. Psychology Press.
Caprara, G. V. & Pastorelli, C. (1993). Early emotional instability, prosocial behaviour, and aggression: Some methodological aspects. European Journal of personality,7 (1), pp.19-36.
Eisenberg, N., Fabes, R., & Spinard, L. (2006). Prosocial Development, in W. Damon, & R. M. Lerner (Eds.)
Damon, X. & Lerner, R. M. Lerner (Eds.) Handbook of child psychology, 6a Ed., Vol. 3. Social, Emotional and Personality Development (pp. 646-718). New Jersey: Wiley. Inc.
Vale-Dias, M. L. & Franco-Borges, G. (2014). Adaptação portuguesa da Generalized Trust Beliefs-Late Adolescents. (Documento não publicado).
