Content area

Abstract

The emergence of prosocial tendencies in early childhood is still not well understood and not commonly tested with direct measures. This study investigated predictors of prosocial behavior (i.e., prosocial decision-making and prosocial creativity) in 3-to-5-year-old children and explored the role of demographic factors on empathy and moral behavior. The children completed a series of child-appropriate computerized standardized picture-based tasks to evaluate their creativity, empathy, moral development, prosocial decision-making, and prosocial creativity. Parents completed questionnaires on their children’s prosocial skills and empathy, while researchers used the children’s task performance to determine their prosocial behavior and creativity. Binary and ordinal logistic regression indicated that children’s age, creativity, and cognitive empathy played important roles in prosocial decision-making and prosocial creativity. These elements likely construct the foundation of children’s prosocial behavior. Moral behavior was also important for prosocial decision-making, which was a precondition for prosocial creativity. A developmental pattern was also found for the emergence of empathy and moral behaviors, suggesting that these abilities may mature over time or may be learned as children mature. By focusing on early interventions and evidence-based educational practices, policymakers can support the holistic development of young children and set the foundation for their future well-being and societal contributions.

Details

1009240
Title
Empathy and creativity as foundations and predictors of how prosocial behavior develops in preschool age children
Volume
19
Issue
1
Pages
6
Publication year
2025
Publication date
Dec 2025
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
Place of publication
Seoul
Country of publication
Netherlands
Publication subject
ISSN
19765681
e-ISSN
22886729
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
Document type
Journal Article
Publication history
 
 
Online publication date
2025-06-09
Milestone dates
2025-05-26 (Registration); 2024-11-21 (Received); 2025-05-24 (Accepted)
Publication history
 
 
   First posting date
09 Jun 2025
ProQuest document ID
3217010934
Document URL
https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/empathy-creativity-as-foundations-predictors-how/docview/3217010934/se-2?accountid=208611
Copyright
Copyright Springer Nature B.V. Dec 2025
Last updated
2025-11-14
Database
3 databases
  • Coronavirus Research Database
  • Education Research Index
  • ProQuest One Academic