PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOUR - ACTIONS THAT BENEFIT OTHERS: INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS OR SOCIETY AS A WHOLE

According to an article by Perri Klass, MD from the New York Times in the Chronicle Herald on December 15, 2012, children learn very early to respond to distress by others and to develop feelings of “empathy, sympathy, kindness and charity”. These types of behaviour are learned very early in children and parents play an important part in promoting this approach to humanity. As quoted in the article, two theories have been developed by Scott Huettel, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University to explain prosocial behaviour. The first is, “…essentially motivational: It feels good to help other people”.  The second “…is based on social cognition — the recognition that other people have needs and goals. The two theories aren’t mutually exclusive: Cognitive understanding accompanied by a motivational reward reinforces prosocial behaviour.” Parents serving as positive models can instill these attitudes long before children know the meaning of the words sympathy and compassion. “Working with a child’s temperament, taking advantage of an emerging sense of self and increasing cognitive understanding of the world and helped by the reward centres of the brain, parents can try to foster that warm glow and the worldview that goes with it. Empathy, sympathy, compassion, kindness and charity begin at home, and very early.” See the article at: http://thechronicleherald.ca/science/254154-sowing-the-empathy-seed