Moral emotions associated with prosocial and antisocial behavior in school-aged children

• Published in: Psicothema 2018-01, Vol.30 (1), p.82
• Main Authors: Baron, Maria Jose O, Bilbao, Itziar Etxebarria, Urquijo, Pedro Apodaca, Lopez, Susana Conejero, Jimeno, Aitzibert Pascual
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• ISSN: 0214-9915
• DOI: 10.7334/psicothema2016.143

Background: The present study aims to explore the main effects and interactive effects of empathy, guilt, shame, pride (authentic and hubristic), and moral pride, on prosocial and antisocial behavior in children. Method: The sample group comprised 351 children aged between 10 and 14 selected from four schools in the Basque Country (Spain). Hierarchical multiple regression models were used in the statistical analyses. Results: Prosocial behavior was found to be predicted by the additive interaction between empathy and moral pride, by guilt and, to a lesser extent and negatively, by shame. In relation to antisocial behavior, children with a strong disposition to guilt scored lower for antisocial behavior, regardless of their empathy levels. Nevertheless, the combination of low empathy and low guilt levels was associated with highest antisocial behavior scores. As regards shame, this emotion was moderately associated with antisocial behavior. Conclusions: By exploring interactions the present study provided a more nuanced view of the emotional factors associated with children's prosocial and antisocial behavior. Keywords: Prosocial behavior, antisocial behavior, guilt, empathy, childhood. Emociones morales asociadas a la conducta prosocial y antisocial en escolares. Antecedentes: el presente estudio pretendid investigar los efectos principales e interactivos de la empatia, la culpa, la vergiienza, el orgullo y especificamente el orgullo moral en la conducta prosocial y antisocial de los ninos. Metodo: la muestra estuvo compuesta por 351 chicos y chicas de 10 a 14 anos escolarizados/as en cuatro centres educativos del Pais Vasco (Spain). Para los analisis estadisticos se utilizaron los modelos de regresidn jerarquica multiple. Resultados: la conducta prosocial fue predicha por la interaccidn aditiva de la empatia y el orgullo moral, por la culpa y, en menor medida, por la vergiienza. Respecto a la conducta antisocial, los ninos con elevada disposicidn a sentir culpa mostraron bajos niveles de conducta antisocial, independientemente de sus niveles de empatia. Sin embargo, la combinacidn de baja empatia y baja culpa se asocid con los mayores niveles de conducta antisocial. En cuanto a la vergiienza, se asocid moderadamente con la conducta antisocial. Conclusiones: la exploracidn de las interacciones ha proporcionado una perspectiva mas matizada y compleja sobre las variables emocionales asociadas a la conducta prosocial y antisocial de los ninos. Palabras clave: