The Buffering Role of Community Self-Efficacy in the Links between Family Economic Stress and Young Adults’ Prosocial Behaviors and Civic Engagement

Abstract

The goal of the current study was to examine the predictive role of economic stress and community self-efficacy on prosocial behaviors toward friends and strangers, and civic engagement. In addition, we considered the multiplicative effects of economic stress and community self-efficacy on these distinct types of prosocial behaviors (different targets of prosocial behaviors). The sample consisted of 202 young adults (M age = 20.94 years; 76.5% women; 67.5% reported identifying as racially White; 7.7% Black; 5.7% Asian; 5.5% Native; 13.6% other and included groups such as Mestizo, mixed race, and Mexican) who reported on their economic stress, community self-efficacy, and tendencies to engage in prosocial behaviors toward friends and strangers as well as civic engagement. The results demonstrated that economic stress was not directly associated with prosocial behaviors or civic engagement. Community self-efficacy was positively associated with civic engagement and prosocial behaviors toward both friends and strangers. The interaction term was positively associated with prosocial behaviors toward friends. Discussion focuses on the critical role of community self-efficacy as a buffer against stress and as a predictor of multiple forms of prosocial behaviors.

Keywords:

• Civic engagement
• economic stress
• prosocial behaviors
• self-efficacy

Additional information

Funding

Resource Allocations Committee at the University of New Mexico.

Notes on contributors

Alexandra N. Davis

Alexandra N. Davis is an Associate Professor of Family and Child Studies at the University of New Mexico in the department of Individual, Family, and Community Education. Her research focuses on cultural and contextual stressors and links to positive adjustment of marginalized youth. The majority of her research focuses on prosocial development under conditions of risk and marginalization.

Ellie S. Clark

Ellie S. Clark is an undergraduate research assistant working with Dr. Alexandra Davis. She is interested in adverse childhood experiences and hopes to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology.

Cara Streit

Cara Streit is an Assistant Professor of Family and Child Studies at the University of New Mexico in the department of Individual, Family, and Community Education. Her research focuses on socialization agents of prosocial behaviors among ethno-racially diverse youth, with a focus on Latinx youth. Her research program has helped delineate the role of mothers, fathers, and siblings on youth prosocial behaviors.

Ryan J. Kelly

Ryan J. Kelly completed his PhD in Human Development and Family Studies at Auburn University. He is an Associate Professor of Family and Child Studies at the University of New Mexico. His research has focused on the influence that familial and relationship processes have on child and adolescent development. His work has placed a special focus on health disparities and understanding the extent to which the negative consequences of risk exposure vary by ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

David T. Lardier

David Lardier is an Assistant Research Professor in the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Division of Community Behavioral Health. Dr. Lardier’s SAMHSA and NIH research includes the implementation and evaluation of substance misuse, mental health, and sexual health prevention-intervention programming.