Prospective Associations Between Prosocial Behavior and Social Dominance in Early Childhood: Are Sharers the Best Leaders?

ABSTRACT

A short-term longitudinal study during early childhood (N = 96; M = 42.80; SD = 7.57) investigated the concurrent and prospective association between prosocial behavior and social dominance. Time-intensive school-based focal child sampling with continuous recording observations of prosocial behavior to peers were conducted and teacher-reports of social dominance were collected. The study documents significant prospective links between prosocial behavior to peers and increases in social dominance over time. Social dominance was not associated with changes in prosocial behavior. The findings extend past empirical work in early childhood and future directions are discussed.

Keywords:

• prosocial behavior
• social dominance
• observation
• early childhood
• preschool
• gender

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jamie M. Ostrov

Jamie M. Ostrov, Ph.D., is an associate professor of psychology in the clinical psychology program and the director of the Social Development Laboratory at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. His research has been supported by grants from NICHD and NSF.

Jamie L. Guzzo

Jamie L. Guzzo earned her M.A. in psychology at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York and a MSEd in early childhood education from the College of St. Rose. She is the director of an early childhood program in the Albany, NY area.