Prosocial Behavior in Young Preschoolers: A Cross-Cultural Study across The Netherlands, India, and China

This cross-cultural study compared the prosocial behaviors of 101 Dutch, 37 urban Indian and 91 urban Chinese preschoolers, investigated (potential) cultural differences on their mothers’ values and goals, and examined how mothers’ values and goals relate to preschoolers’ prosocial behaviors. Preschoolers’ prosocial behaviors were observed in three standardized, behavioral assessments. Mothers reported on their own values and socialization goals for their children. Results showed no cultural difference in prosocial behaviors. However, Indian and Chinese mothers rated self-enhancement values as more important than Dutch mothers, and Indian mothers rated self-transcendence values and relational goals as more important than the Chinese and Dutch mothers. No difference was found on autonomous goals. These findings suggest that current cultural differences on parental socialization processes are beyond the individualistic-collectivistic dichotomy often used to classify cultures and are more reflective of the independence of these two dimensions. Mothers in urban Indian and urban Chinese societies can be categorized into an autonomous-relatedness cultural model. Additionally, there might be an ongoing shift toward an independence model in the urban, Chinese societies. Furthermore, culture moderated the association between autonomous goals and observed prosocial behaviors, with this association being significant within the Dutch sample only. No other associations between values or goals and children’s prosocial behavior were found. Overall, these findings support the ecocultural model of children’s prosocial development, and further suggest that young preschoolers from different cultures are more alike than different in prosocial behaviors.