The Reciprocal Effects of Prosociality, Peer Support and Psychological Well-Being in Adolescence: A Four-Wave Longitudinal Study

The aim of this study was to analyze the reciprocal effects between prosociality, peer support and psychological well-being using a four-wave longitudinal study and a within-person analytical approach (random intercept cross-lagged panel model, RI-CLPM). A sample of 587 adolescents (males = 308; Mag...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2024-12, Vol.21 (12), p.1630
Main Authors: Affuso, Gaetana, Picone, Nicola, De Angelis, Grazia, Dragone, Mirella, Esposito, Concetta, Pannone, Maddalena, Zannone, Anna, Bacchini, Dario
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior
Child development
Influence
Longitudinal studies
Mental health
Peer relationships
Peer tutoring
Students
Teenagers
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Summary:The aim of this study was to analyze the reciprocal effects between prosociality, peer support and psychological well-being using a four-wave longitudinal study and a within-person analytical approach (random intercept cross-lagged panel model, RI-CLPM). A sample of 587 adolescents (males = 308; Mage = 14.23, SD = 0.58) enrolled in the first year of high school (9th grade) were recruited and followed over four years from 2016 (Time 1 [T1]) to 2019 (Time 4 [T4]). Once a year, they filled in a questionnaire measuring prosociality, peer support, and psychological well-being. The results from the RI-CLPM revealed that, at the between-person level, prosociality, peer support and psychological well-being were all positively associated. Conversely, at the within-person level and at all survey points, only psychological well-being positively predicted prosociality one year later. Specifically, we found that adolescents with higher levels of psychological well-being were more likely to show a tendency for prosocial behaviors over time. Promoting interventions aimed at enhancing psychological well-being may make adolescents more likely to engage in positive behaviors, such as prosocial ones, in a variety of contexts, thereby creating favorable social environments.
ISSN:1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph21121630