Hu Yiqiu, Zhao Xian, Li Zhihua
School of Education Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
China Research Center for Mental Health Education, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
J Adolesc. 2025 Jan;97(1):124-136. doi: 10.1002/jad.12402. Epub 2024 Sep 5.
This study explored the general tendencies and heterogeneous developmental trajectory of prosocial behavior and predictors.
The present study conducted latent growth model and growth mixture model analyses in a sample of 814 students (M = 13.79 years old at baseline; 57% girls) from economically disadvantaged families, classified as being below the local income threshold in China, with four follow-up surveys administered during the following 2 years.
The general tendency in the developmental trajectory of prosocial behavior showed a linear decrease. A gender difference in initial levels was observed, with girls showing a higher initial level of prosocial behavior than boys. Family functioning, subjective support, and support utilization significantly affected the intercept, but objective support significantly negatively affected the slope. Heterogeneity in the development of prosocial behavior was best classified with a 3-class solution, including C1 (Rapid-decrease, 10.6%), C2 (Medium-stable, 42.5%), and C3 (High-increase, 46.9%). The patterns of prosocial behavior development in economically disadvantaged children with higher family functioning were more likely to be in the High-increase Class than in the Rapid-decrease Class.
The present study revealed an average decline in the trajectories of prosocial behavior development in economically disadvantaged children. However, it also captured heterogeneous developmental trajectories. Furthermore, the study revealed that family functioning, subjective support, and support utilization all served as protective factors for prosocial behavior among economically disadvantaged children.
本研究探讨了亲社会行为及其预测因素的总体趋势和异质性发展轨迹。
本研究对814名来自经济弱势家庭（家庭收入低于中国当地收入门槛）的学生（基线时平均年龄M = 13.79岁；女生占57%）进行了潜在增长模型和增长混合模型分析，并在接下来的两年内进行了四次随访调查。
亲社会行为发展轨迹的总体趋势呈线性下降。观察到初始水平存在性别差异，女生的亲社会行为初始水平高于男生。家庭功能、主观支持和支持利用对截距有显著影响，但客观支持对斜率有显著负面影响。亲社会行为发展的异质性最好用三类解决方案进行分类，包括C1（快速下降，10.6%）、C2（中等稳定，42.5%）和C3（大幅上升，46.9%）。家庭功能较高的经济弱势儿童的亲社会行为发展模式更有可能属于大幅上升类，而不是快速下降类。
本研究揭示了经济弱势儿童亲社会行为发展轨迹的平均下降趋势。然而，它也捕捉到了异质性发展轨迹。此外，研究表明家庭功能、主观支持和支持利用都是经济弱势儿童亲社会行为的保护因素。
