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Kindness movements toward a kinder more compassionate world are proliferating worldwide. One of the key challenges facing these movements is attracting and sustaining members. This research identified a range of dispositional, motivational, and contextual factors significantly related to participation in a kindness movement initiated on the Virginia Tech campus after the tragic shootings on April 16, 2007: the AC4P Movement. Strongly resembling existing research on motivational functions served by volunteerism, the present research identified five motives for participation in kindness movements: social action, gratitude expression, social enhancement, impression management, and protective. Additionally, regression analysis identified a model with five significant predictors of participation: required participation, history of traumatic experience, belief that society is in danger, extroversion, and social action motivation. Findings are integrated within the context of Geller's (2016) model of empowerment. / Ph. D.

The presence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits (e.g., shallow affect, lack of empathy) in children predicts reduced prosocial behavior. Similarly, CU traits relate to emotion recognition deficits, which may be related to deficits in visual attention to the eye region of others. Notably, recognition of others' distress necessarily precedes sympathy, and sympathy is a key predictor in prosocial outcomes. Thus, visual attention and emotion recognition may mediate the relationship between CU traits and deficient prosocial behavior. Elucidating these connections furthers the development of treatment protocols for children with behavioral problems and CU traits. This study seeks to: (1) extend this research to younger children, including girls; (2) measure eye gaze using infrared eye-tracking technology; and (3) test the hypothesis that CU traits are linked to prosocial behavior deficits via reduced eye gaze, which in turn leads to deficits in fear recognition. Children (n = 81, ages 6-9) completed a computerized, eye-tracked emotion recognition task and a standardized prosocial behavior task while parents reported on the children's CU traits. Results partially supported hypotheses, in that CU traits predicted less time focusing on the eye region for fear expressions, and certain dimensions of eye gaze predicted accuracy in recognizing some emotions. However, the full model was not supported for fear or distress expressions. Conversely, there was some evidence that the link between CU traits and deficient prosocial behavior is mediated by reduced recognition for low intensity happy expressions, but only in girls. Theoretical and practical implications for these findings are considered. / Master of Science

Numerous researchers have argued early adolescent behavior patterns are among the best predictors of later achievement and social-psychological adjustment outcomes. In the current study, a secondary data analysis was conducted to determine the extent to which four prosocial behaviors (cooperation, assertiveness, self-control and prosocial behaviors toward peers) and two forms of aggression (overt and relational) influence academic performance (as indexed by GPA and standardized achievement scores). Additionally, the potential moderating role of two school environment variables (perception of school climate and teacher bonding) were also considered in order to further examine the social-emotional environment of middle schools. Examining concurrent relations between grade 5 social behaviors and academic performance revealed all four forms of prosocial behavior were positively related to higher academic performance. Predictive relations between grade 6 social behaviors and academic outcomes at grade 9 indicated that of the four prosocial behaviors and two forms of aggression, cooperation alone predicted the likelihood of later academic achievement. Finally, it was hypothesized that prosocial behaviors, perception of school climate and teacher bonding would serve as moderators between aggression and academic performance; however, this prediction was unsupported. By drawing attention to the limited typology employed in studying prosocial behavior, as well as the methodological challenges that arise when examining these behaviors during adolescence, the hope is to spur research geared towards a more comprehensive understanding of prosocial development. / Master of Science

The most common school-based interventions to prevent victimization from bullying use disciplinary methods and increase playground supervision. While enforcement approaches can prevent bullying, the effects are often short term and may lead to undesirable side effects. Thus, it seems a positive approach to increase prosocial behavior and prevent victimization is needed. This study evaluated the Actively Caring for People (AC4P) approach in four Southwest Virginia middle schools. Sixth and seventh grade students from two schools (n=209) participated in a five-week prosocial-focused curriculum, while 194 students served in the control group. All participants completed pre and post-test measures on their prosocial behavior performed and received, aggressive victimization and aggression performed, as well as bullying victimization and bullying performed to others. Linear regression and binary logistic regression were used to assess the impact of the Intervention. Follow-up moderator analyses were performed to assess the impact of Intervention Fidelity, Classroom Climate, Coaches' Entity Prosocial Mindset, and Role Model Perceptions. No intervention effects were observed and no moderators of the intervention were significant. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed. / Master of Science

En 2007, une étude menée par Hamlin, Wynn et Bloom a montré qu’à 6 mois les jeunes enfants disposent de capacités d’évaluation sociale, qui s’illustrent dans leur préférence pour des personnages prosociaux. Depuis, de nombreuses études ont tenté de retrouver la préférence pour un personnage prosocial. Parmi elles, certaines n’ont pas retrouvé ce résultat, questionnant la solidité de ces capacités.L’objectif de cette thèse est de tester l’existence et la robustesse de la préférence pour un comportement prosocial chez les jeunes enfants en manipulant : 1) l’âge (6, 12, 18, 24, 36 mois), le type de scénario social (aide, jeu, partage), et l’apparence faciale des agents prosociaux et antisociaux (familière ou inhabituelle). Dans cet objectif, quatre études ont été réalisées auprès de 446 enfants âgés de 6 à 36 mois qui ont visionné des dessins animés faisant interagir des agents prosociaux et antisociaux. Leurs préférences ont été identifiées par un geste de pointage/atteinte ou à l’aide d’un oculomètre.Nos résultats montrent que la préférence pour un comportement prosocial est observée quasiment à tous les âges testés, et varie en fonction du scénario social. Enfin, dans les situations sensées être conflictuelles au regard des préférences des jeunes enfants, ces derniers n’expriment majoritairement pas de préférence. L’ensemble des résultats remettent en question la solidité d’une préférence précoce pour un comportement prosocial et questionnent les conditions nécessaires à son observation. Les résultats de cette thèse sont discutés à la lumière de questionnements méthodologiques et d’études récentes qui fragilisent les résultats princeps d’Hamlin et ses collaborateurs. / In 2007, a study carried out by Hamlin, Wynn, and Bloom showed that infants aged 6 months are able to make social evaluation, that could be identified through their preference for prosocial characters. Since, a number of studies have tried to confirm this preference for prosocial characters. Of these, some did not find similar result, raising question on the robustness of this ability.This dissertation aims to test the existence and the strength of the preference for prosocial behaviors in infants by manipulating: 1) age (6, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months), the type of the social scenario (help, play, share), and the facial appearance of the prosocial and antisocial agents (familiar or unusual). To that end, four studies have been carried out with 446 infants aged 6 to 36 months who were shown specially designed animated cartoons in which prosocial and antisocial agents interacted. Infants’ preference was identified through their pointing/reaching gesture or assessed by an eye-tracker. Our results show that the preference for the prosocial behaviors was observed in nearly all the tested age, and varied according to the social scenario. Finally, in the situation assumed to be conflicting infants' preferences, infants mostly did not express any preference. All results challenge the strength of the preference for prosocial behaviors as well as the conditions that must be met to observe it. The results of this dissertation are discussed in the light of methodological issues and recent studies that weaken Hamlin and collaborators’ original results.