Prosocial Development

The development and correlates of pro-social behavior (i.e., voluntary behavior intended to benefit another) and empathy-related responding are reviewed. Topics included are philosophical roots and relevant psychological theories; the biological bases of pro-social behavior and empathy; development trends in the emergence of pro-social tendencies; cultural correlates of pro-social behavior, socialization within and outside the family (e.g., in the schools); cognitive, socio-cognitive, and dispositional correlates; and gender differences. An integration of the literature and new directions and challenges for future research are also discussed.