Musical behaviours, such as singing, dancing and musical production, encourage high levels of interpersonal synchrony. In adults, interpersonal synchrony (i.e. moving in time with others) has been shown to encourage affiliative behaviours among those involved. People are more cooperative, helpful, and trusting toward people with whom they have moved synchronously compared to asynchronously. Until the present thesis, it was unknown if these affiliative effects of interpersonal synchrony influenced social behaviour from an early age. In Chapter 2, I provided the first evidence that 14-month-old infants are more helpful toward synchronously- compared to asynchronously-moving partners. In Chapter 3, I showed that interpersonal synchrony only boosts infant helping directed toward their synchronously-moving partner, but not a neutral stranger. However, in Chapter 4, I showed that infants are more likely to help the positive affiliate (“friend”) of their synchronously-moving partner over the “friend” of their asynchronously-moving partner. Chapter 5 explores how background music in Chapters 2-4 contributed to the overall experience. Here, I found that even in a non-musical context, infants still helped synchronously-moving partners more than asynchronously-moving partners. However, infants were more distressed and took more time to help than in Chapters 2-4, suggesting that music may provide an emotionally regulating context within which interpersonal synchrony can be experienced. Together, these findings suggest that behaviours encouraging high levels of synchronous movement, such as musical behaviours, have important consequences for early social development. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

When will people empathize with and help others? The goal of this research was to determine whether a prosocial orientation results from experiencing trauma. Recent research suggests there may be positive consequences to suffering. Under certain conditions, such as when people experience post-traumatic growth, past suffering can lead to personal benefits. Building on this body of research, one aim of this thesis was to investigate the impact of subjective traumatic suffering and psychological distress on post-traumatic growth and empathy. The second aim of this research was to examine whether objective trauma severity predicts post-traumatic growth. Finally, the third aim of this research was to examine the relationship between post-traumatic growth and empathy and the simultaneous impact of these variables on a prosocial orientation. Study 1 assessed these aforementioned relationships and Study 2 included a manipulation of post-traumatic growth and a behavioural outcome measure of prosocial behaviour. Structural equation models for Study 1 and 2 indicated that subjective traumatic suffering and objective trauma severity positively predicted post-traumatic growth, and post-traumatic growth positively predicted empathy. In turn, empathy positively predicted several prosocial outcomes. Thus, empathy mediated the link between post-traumatic growth and a prosocial orientation. In contrast to subjective traumatic suffering, psychological distress was unrelated to post-traumatic growth and negatively predicted empathy. Study 2 further indicated that focusing on one’s growth in regards to trauma resulted in greater post-traumatic growth scores, but the manipulation had no direct impact on empathy or a prosocial orientation. The current findings have important social and clinical implications.

When will people empathize with and help others? The goal of this research was to determine whether a prosocial orientation results from experiencing trauma. Recent research suggests there may be positive consequences to suffering. Under certain conditions, such as when people experience post-traumatic growth, past suffering can lead to personal benefits. Building on this body of research, one aim of this thesis was to investigate the impact of subjective traumatic suffering and psychological distress on post-traumatic growth and empathy. The second aim of this research was to examine whether objective trauma severity predicts post-traumatic growth. Finally, the third aim of this research was to examine the relationship between post-traumatic growth and empathy and the simultaneous impact of these variables on a prosocial orientation. Study 1 assessed these aforementioned relationships and Study 2 included a manipulation of post-traumatic growth and a behavioural outcome measure of prosocial behaviour. Structural equation models for Study 1 and 2 indicated that subjective traumatic suffering and objective trauma severity positively predicted post-traumatic growth, and post-traumatic growth positively predicted empathy. In turn, empathy positively predicted several prosocial outcomes. Thus, empathy mediated the link between post-traumatic growth and a prosocial orientation. In contrast to subjective traumatic suffering, psychological distress was unrelated to post-traumatic growth and negatively predicted empathy. Study 2 further indicated that focusing on one’s growth in regards to trauma resulted in greater post-traumatic growth scores, but the manipulation had no direct impact on empathy or a prosocial orientation. The current findings have important social and clinical implications.

Prosocial behaviour is an important building block of children's future social relationships and overall life achievement. The purpose of this study is to increase our knowledge of how various social pathways influence the developmental trajectories of prosocial behaviour in children between the age of 4 and 11. Conceptually, this study rests on the family stress model and its mediating effects, augmented by parental perceptions of neighbourhood social relationships moderating those family pathways. Research is conducted using data from Statistics Canada's National Longitudinal Survey on Children and Youth (NLSCY), and latent growth models (LGM) in four parenting domains: positive interaction, effectiveness, consistency, and rationality. The study supports the hypothesis that family pathways, such as parental depression, family dysfunction, and parenting practices, mediate the relationship between family SES and children's prosocial development. Study findings also demonstrate the important direct effect sizes of all parenting practices on children's prosocial growth. Results suggest that the magnitude of the direct effects of parenting practices on prosocial behaviour, which are non-negligible and positive, are to a great extent negatively affected by the variables defined in the family stress model. Moreover, this research provides new insights about the types of moderation, and the focus of these moderating effects on the family stress model. Thus, findings support the hypothesis that parents' perceptions of neighbourhood cohesion and social support mitigate one or more family pathways more proximal to the child. Overall, this research study contributes in a distinctive manner to the current literature on children's prosocial behaviour development.

Prosocial behaviours are a diverse group of actions that are integral to human social life. In this dissertation I propose and test a three-factor model of prosocial behaviour. Specifically, in a series of four studies I examined the ability of infants and toddlers to engage in helping, sharing, and comforting behaviour. Additionally, I examine the consistency with which children produce these behaviours longitudinally over time and the associations between these three subtypes of prosocial behaviour and social cognitive perspective taking, effortful control, affective perspective taking, and temperament. In Study 1, I found that 18-month-old infants were able to engage in helping and sharing, but not comforting behaviour. In Study 2, I found that between 18 and 30 months, there was no individual consistency in the production of prosocial behaviours, either across types (helping, sharing) or times (18, 24, or 30 months). Moreover, I found that even at 30 months of age, young children were not recognizing and responding to the emotional needs of others. In Study 3, I examined the relation between helping and sharing and three measures of social cognitive perspective taking and general cognitive development. I found unique relations between the behavioural correlates and the measures of prosocial behaviour. Specifically, I found that sharing was associated with imitation and that helping was associated with general cognitive development. Finally, Study 4 demonstrated that helping was the most frequent prosocial behaviour that the children engaged in, and it did not increase over time. I also observed a significant developmental increase in comforting behaviour from 2 to 3 years. Additionally, I found low rates of sharing behaviour that were stable over time. Importantly, I observed consistency in the production of prosocial behaviour within each subtype and defined a three-factor structure that differentiated between the helping, sharing, and comforting tasks. Further, I observed a significant association between effortful control and comforting behaviour, but no other significant associations between any of the subtypes of prosocial behaviour and the behavioural correlates (effortful control, affective perspective taking, and temperament). The implications for the construct of prosocial behaviour and the presence of a “prosocial disposition” are discussed. / Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2010-09-20 15:08:27.842

Previous research has looked at how two dominant approaches to pursuing the good life – eudaimonia (pursuit of growth, excellence, authenticity) and hedonia (pursuit of pleasure, comfort) relate to benefits for the self. This thesis looked beyond personal well-being and investigated how eudaimonic and hedonic orientations relate to benefits beyond the self and broader scope of concern. Manuscript 1 assessed the link between eudaimonic and hedonic orientations and self-reported and observational prosocial behaviour, self-focused and other focused values, as well as time perspectives and abstract thinking. Manuscript 2 explored the association between eudaimonic and hedonic orientations and hindering social behaviours, and helping under various circumstances. Next, Manuscript 3 examined reasons for engaging in prosocial behaviours, including self-focused and other-focused motives. Lastly, Manuscript 4 went beyond self-report measures by studying the distinction between eudaimonic and hedonic orientations on reactions to pictures depicting human/animal/nature happiness/health and suffering/degradation based on self-report affect and empathy, facial expressions, and psychophysiological measures (skin conductance and heart rate). Manuscript 1 showed that eudaimonic orientation related to a broader focus, including scope of concern (i.e., a wider variety of prosocial behaviours, prosocial values), a balanced time perspective (present and future focus) and abstract mindset (i.e., high-level construal), while hedonic orientation tended to be more narrowly focused on the self and present moment. Manuscript 2 revealed that eudaimonic orientation related positively to helping under abstract and costly situations, and negatively with hindering social behaviours; hedonic orientation was related to negative impacts beyond the self. Manuscript 3 showed that eudaimonic orientation was a balance of helping to benefit both the self and others, while hedonic orientation was primarily related to helping for personal benefits. Manuscript 4 showed that eudaimonic orientation related to greater self-report joy and suffering beyond the self (relative to hedonia), while findings for facial expressions and psychophysiological responses were inconclusive. This research provides a unique contribution to the well-being literature by investigating the impacts that eudaimonic and hedonic orientations have on society using a comprehensive array of self-report questionnaires and a novel picture paradigm. Limitations of the present research include that most studies were based on self-report which can produce social desirability bias, and that the studies were correlational which limits casual inferences about the findings. Future research would benefit from experimental studies assessing the link between eudaimonia and hedonia and broad scope of concern.

Differences in family structure have been linked to several mental health outcomes, where children living in a nuclear family setting are best-off, while children in joint physical custody are second best followed by those living mostly and only with one parent. One of the biggest changes in recent years is that joint physical custody is growing more common. The dependent variables in this thesis were three dimensions of mental health from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Data from 6th and 9th graders in the entire Sweden 2009 was used. Regression modelling showed differences in mental health between the family structures throughout, although children in  joint physical custody was not significantly different from those in nuclear families (reference category) in half of the models. Children living mostly with one parent reported the third worst levels of problematic behaviour and prevalence of low prosocial behaviour while those living with just one parent were worst off. Stratifying by gender did reveal small coefficient differences and so did controls for birth region. This thesis, although in a line of other publications based on this study can help shape future guidelines for e.g. social workers.

This diploma thesis is focused on the way and realisation of multicultural training at nursery schools as well as on preschool children prejudices, children noticing ethnic differences among their peers and it also deals with prosocial behaviour of children who are finishing their preschool education. Theoretical part covers general level of the subject, which is multicultural training at preschool institutions in relation to the general educational plan for nursery schools. It also deals with questions of the origin of prejudices of preschool children and their educational rehabilitation. It determines the age in which children start to notice ethnic differences among their peers and the effects of these differences. Practical part deals with testing of chosen respondents who are finishing preschool education in two classes of different multicultural span and it also investigates the form of specific steps of multicultural education on a sample of nursery schools. The results bring information about prosocial behaviour and possible prejudices among children from different classes. The results of similarity and specific steps of multicultural education lead to the case study of good experience.

The diploma thesis is concerned on the issues of introduction of the additional ethical education program to the primary schools. The diploma thesis is focused on the second period (4. 5. grade) of the primary school, which defines RVP ZV. Theoretical part of the diploma thesis explains the initial concept of the ethical education, mainly work of R. R. Olivar, who is followed by L. Lencz. Then, it is concerned on the possibilities of introduction of the ethical education to the School Educational Program and analysis of expected output created by the ethical education in the second period of the primary school. The crux of the diploma thesis is the practical part, where is compiled a part of the output, which are expected in the education program Ethical education for second period. The purpose of the diploma thesis was to show the teachers, who are starting to teach the ethical education, how to fulfil the lessons.

The profession of rescuers is very stressful and requires high level of resistance against stress, connected to pro-social tendencies, which are altruism and empathy. The theoretical part is divided into five topics related to the research. These topics are: helping professions, competence of helping professions, pro-social behaviour, integrated emergency system in the Czech Republic and the last theoretical part concerns personality. The objective of this research was to identify some personality characteristics of rescuers in South Bohemian region, in consideration of pro-social behaviour. The research was carried out in rescue service in South Bohemian region and at the University of South Bohemia. Research was devised through a questionnaire that was given to 77 rescuers (12 of them were studying the subject rescuer at the University of South Bohemia).