Perceived, expressed and observed prosociality among four-year-old girls and boys in childcare centres

Abstract

This article examines the prosociality of four-year-old girls and boys in childcare centres. More specifically, it aims to measure gender differences in prosociality among children, based on three sources and methods of evaluation: (1) the early childhood educator's (ECE) perception (perceived prosociality), (2) the children's own responses to hypothetical interpersonal problem-solving situations (expressed prosociality) and (3) observation of the children's prosocial behaviour during symbolic play with a peer (observed prosociality). In line with many studies in this field, the results show that girls are perceived by their ECEs as being more prosocial than boys. However, analyses of the data on expressed prosociality and observed prosociality did not reveal a significant gender effect. These results are discussed with respect to the influence that differential perceptions based on gender have on the assessment of children's prosociality. Some possible explanations for this gender gap, particularly in educational contexts, are put forward.

Keywords:

• prosocial behaviour
• gender differences
• early childhood education
• childcare centre
• day care

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the children and ECEs from Montreal (Quebec, Canada) for participating in this study. This study was supported by grants awarded by the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la société et la culture (FQRSC) [112430].

Notes on contributors

Caroline Bouchard is a psychologist who specialises in the development of young children in educational contexts (childcare centres and kindergarten). She is an associate professor in the Département d’études sur l'enseignement et l'apprentissage [Teaching and Learning Studies Department] of the Faculté des sciences de l’éducation [Faculty of Education] at Université Laval (Quebec, Canada) and a researcher with the FRQSC team studying the educational quality of childcare centres and childcare services (see www.qualitepetiteenfance.uqam.ca) and with Centre d'intervention et de recherche sur la réussite scolaire [Centre for research and intervention on academic success] (see http://www.ulaval.ca/crires). In addition to a doctoral degree in psychology as part of which she pursued a research internship in the pragmatics of language under Josie Bernicot (Université Poitiers, France), she holds a postdoctoral degree in speech therapy from Hôpital Sainte-Justine, which is affiliated with the Université de Montréal (Quebec, Canada).

Sylvain Coutu is a full professor in psychoeducation at Université du Québec en Outaouais (St-Jérôme, Canada). He is interested in the socio-emotional development of young children and the prevention of problem behaviours in preschool settings. He coordinated the activities of the QEMVIE research group at UQO (12 researchers) for seven years, leading studies related to the socialisation of children, family relationships and the development of children with special needs.

Nathalie Bigras is a full professor in the Département de didactique [Didactics Department] at Université du Québec à Montréal (Montréal, Canada) and scientific director of the FRQSC research team studying the educational quality of childcare centres and childcare services. She has conducted studies on the quality of childcare services and the best means of improving the quality of these services, the development of children in educational childcare and access to educational childcare services for disadvantaged families.

Lise Lemay, PhD, has completed her doctorate in education under the supervision of professors Nathalie Bigras and Caroline Bouchard at Université du Québec à Montréal where she is a sessional lecturer in the early childhood education certificate programme. She is also the coordinator of the FRQSC research team studying the educational quality of childcare centres and childcare services. Her research interests include the educational environment of childcare services, the quality of these services and how they are linked with the socio-emotional development of children.

Gilles Cantin is a full professor in the Département de didactique [Didactics Department] at Université du Québec à Montréal (Montréal, Canada). He studies the relationship between parents and ECEs, the effects of initial training and professional development on ECEs’ ability to support and build bridges with parents, the quality of preschool and school settings, and the transition to school.

Marie-Claire Bouchard is pursuing a master's degree in psychopedagogy in the Faculty of Education at Université Laval (Québec, Canada). Her thesis is on the relationship between observed prosociality and social interactions during symbolic play among four-year-old children in childcare centres. She holds a bachelor's degree in sociology and a technical diploma in special education.

Stéphanie Duval is a doctoral student in psychopedagogy in the Faculty of Education at Université Laval (Québec, Canada). She is interested in the best means of fostering educational success among young children, starting in kindergarten. Her master's thesis focused on the transition from kindergarten to the elementary grades, while her doctoral thesis examines the relationship between the quality of the educational environment in kindergarten and educational success among five-year-old children.

Notes

1. In Quebec, subsidised childcare refers to childcare centres operating as non-profit organisations administrated by a board of directors whose members are mostly parent users, home childcare in a private residence or subsidised private day-care centres operating as for-profit businesses providing childcare in a facility other than the home (Ministère de la Famille et des Aînés, 2007).

2. As opposed to ‘sex’ which refers to biological differences, the term ‘gender’ takes into account the complexity of social relations between girls and boys, that is, as a product of social constructions of sex conveyed through processes of socialisation and enculturation (Hirata, Laborie, Le Doaré, & Senotier, 2004; Hurtig, Kail & Rouch, 2002).

3. In previous papers, the principal author used the terms ‘symmetrical prosociality’ and ‘asymmetrical prosociality’.

4. The present literature review is based on Eisenberg and Fabes’ (1998) meta-analysis, presented in Eisenberg et al. (2006, 2013). In order to explore research published since the 1990s, we conducted a search using six databases: PsycNET, Medline, ERIC and FRANCIS. Keywords targeting prosociality (prosocial behaviour, prosociality), young children (children, preschool Child: 2–5 years, Child: 6–12 years, Age 0–5 and 6–12, Educational Level: Early Childhood Education, Kindergarten, Preschool education) were used as search terms. The keywords were used in different permutations and combinations to obtain the greatest number of articles. Finally, the reference lists of each article were consulted, in order to ensure an exhaustive literature search.

5. Based on previous studies (Berndt, 1981; Cauley & Tyler, 1989; Eisenberg, Cameron, Tryon, & Dodez, 1981), we had planned to use more qualitative measures assessing the spontaneity and effectiveness of prosocial behaviours in this study. However, a principal components analysis showed that the variable associated with the frequency of the observed prosocial behaviours was represented by the linear combination of the three initial variables, with equal weight, which forced us to use frequency as the sole measure of observed prosociality.

6. All of the ECEs involved in this study were women.

7. It should be noted that the variance associated with the year in which each of the three data collection sessions took place was homogeneous. The year was thus not taken into account in subsequent analyses. Moreover, it should be pointed out that the data were collected at the same time each year (between October and December).