Conducta Prosocial

Developmental Science 12:1 (2009), pp 165 –174

DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2008.00739.x

PAPER
Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Behavioral genetic analyses of prosocial behavior in adolescents
Alice M. Gregory,+1,2 Jade H. Light-Häusermann,+2 Frühling Rijsdijk2 and Thalia C. Eley2
1. Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths College, University of London, UK 2. Social, Genetic, & DevelopmentalPsychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, UK

Abstract
Prosocial behavior is an important aspect of normal social and psychological development. Adult and child twin studies typically estimate the heritability of prosocial behavior to be between 30 and 50%, although relatively little is known about genetic and environmental influences upon prosocial behavior in adolescence. Wetherefore examined reports of prosocial behavior in a large longitudinal family study of 1160 adolescent twin pairs (aged between 13 and 19 years). Prosocial behavior was assessed at two time points by self-report and at the second time point by additional parent-ratings using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, 1997). Adolescent females were reported to be significantly moreprosocial than males (p < .001). Univariate analyses primarily showed moderate heritability and large nonshared environmental influences. There was a moderate genetic correlation between self- and parent-reported prosocial behaviour, suggesting that both types of rater were tapping into genetically overlapping constructs. Longitudinal analyses revealed that continuity was largely explained bygenes. Unique environmental influences were predominantly time-specific and were the major source of individual differences.

Introduction
Prosocial behavior is an integral part of human social relationships, involving a range of behaviors including helping, sharing, as well as showing concern and consideration for others. This type of behavior can be defined as any voluntary behavior intended tobenefit another (Eisenberg & Fabes, 1998). Prosocial behavior has been linked to a variety of desirable traits including positive relationships and interactions with peers (Eisenberg & Fabes, 1998), as well as lower levels of antisocial behavior (Hamalaimen & Pulkiinen, 1995). Conversely, low levels of prosocial behavior have been linked to externalizing disorders of childhood (Lochman & Dodge, 1994).While there is growing information about the etiology of prosocial behavior in children and adults, relatively little is known about adolescents. This is noteworthy as adolescence is a period of great change – including a greater shift towards emotionally influenced actions (Dahl, 2004) which could be relevant to prosocial behavior. In order to understand influences on prosocial behavior, it istherefore essential to examine different developmental stages separately. Towards this aim, this paper focused upon genetic and environmental influences on prosocial behavior in adolescents.

Theories of prosocial behavior The development of prosocial behavior is a continuous process that is not yet fully understood (Bierhoff, 2002). Early behaviorists proposed that children learn prosocial behaviorprimarily through conditioning and contingencies. In a modification of behaviorism, social learning theorists highlighted the role of imitation as critical to the socialization of moral behavior (Bandura, 1986). Indeed, there is substantial evidence that prosocial behavior is learned through observation and verbal behavior, and many view modeling as a fundamental learning process involved in thedevelopment of prosocial behavior (e.g. Rushton, 1975, 1982). As parents provide children with their first socialization system, prosocial actions of the former are thought to influence their children’s development of these behaviors. Parental use of induction (providing reasoned explanations for requests that the child amend his/her behavior; Hoffman, 1970) is also considered influential in the...