Research on the development of
empathy and prosocial behavior.
Longitudinal associations between parents' prosocial behavior and media use and young children's prosocial development:
The mediating role of children's media use.
Padilla‐Walker, L. M., Workman, K., Calley, A., Ashby, S., Holmgren, H. G., Archibald, C., ... & Coyne, S. M. (2024). Longitudinal associations between parents' prosocial behavior and media use and young children's prosocial development: The mediating role of children's media use. Infancy, 29(2), 95-112.
THE GIST: We learn Prosocial Behavior (PB) from a young age. It is what helps us have empathy, share, help others, etc. Children learn about PB from parent modeling and from the media they take in. Over one year, researchers observed children and parents and saw that children’s media use was still strongly related to their behavior - even when they accounted for other influences like parents’ behavior and empathy. Parents play a huge role in managing their kid’s media use and encouraging behaviors. More prosocial media can be a good influence on kids.
THE TAKEAWAY: Kids consume a lot more media now than they did a decade ago. It is simply the world we live in - many US households have phones, tablets, TVs, and entertainment readily available to children. When possible, parents should choose media that is more prosocial or educational for their kids. Media platforms and policy-makers should make high-quality prosocial content more available because children deserve good teachers. Children learn from watching others, and the media kids are exposed to early on can help shape them socially and morally in later years.
THE GIST: In this study, we wanted to get a glimpse of children’s growing understanding of gender, so we observed their preferences for things like friends, toys, and clothing. We followed families over four years to study how children inherit gendered attitudes from their parents. We theorized that people may fall back on more traditional and familiar gender roles during big transitions like marriage or parenthood. When children are born, the only thing parents may know for sure about the child is the gender, so they work with that until they have more information. As children develop personalities and talents, parent ideas about gender can break down and become flexible again as they reevaluate their relationships with each other and with their child.
THE TAKEAWAY: Children base their growing understanding of gender (even gender awareness and gender stereotyping) on the attitudes of their parents during the child’s early years of socializing. Parents can teach children through what they say and do, modeling gender-appropriate behavior. Parent attitudes toward gender-type play change and grow with children and life experiences. Never underestimate the influence of parents! They can be a source of change in family dynamics and help shape a child’s early understanding of the world.
Rogers, A. A., Shawcroft, J., Stockdale, L. A., Coyne, S. M., & Fraser, A. M. (2024). Trajectories of parents' gendered play attitudes during early childhood and implications for children's gender development. Child Development, 95(2), 428-446.
Trajectories of parents’ gendered play attitudes during early childhood and the implications for children’s gender development.
Boys’ internalized appearance-related norms from different socializers uniquely, negatively relate to wellbeing and gender beliefs.
Nielson, M. G., Tolman, D., Martin, C. L., & Fraser, A. M. (2024). Boys’ internalized appearance-related norms from different socializers uniquely, negatively relate to wellbeing and gender beliefs. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 44(3), 306-333.
THE GIST: Body image has layers of social context and ideas. We surveyed elementary school boys between the ages of 10 and 13, along with fathers and peers (both male and female) to compare their beliefs about appearance and investigate male beliefs on body image and gender. In comparing boys' expectations with those of the other groups, we found that most boys appeared to internalize beliefs about their appearances. Different opinions had different impacts on their self-esteem, ideas of gender (private and public), and self-presentation. Overall, boys compared their looks to masculine ideals and felt that these aesthetic expectations came from themselves more than from their fathers or peers.
THE TAKEAWAY: Feeling comfortable in your skin is important for your well-being. Men, especially young men, may be subject to the influences and ideas of other people. More than that, youth tend to be pretty hard on themselves. The high standards they hold themselves to can be hard to break from when they believe it is what society wants from them. Boys may feel pressure where masculinity and appearance meet. Understanding where these expectations about appearance come from can help parents and peers better support boys and improve men’s mental health.
THE GIST: Children between the ages of 2 and 4 often spend a lot of time in front of the television watching a variety of different content, but some of the long term ramifications are still unknown. Researchers in this study investigated what media children were watching and how much they were watching it. Then they looked for how that influenced certain behaviors in the children over time - including their aggression, prosocial behavior (like how well they interact with other children), and problematic media use (like needing to give a child a screen as the only way to calm them down). They found three main groups: children engaging in large quantities of media, children engaging in low amounts of media, and children who were engaged in particularly aggressive media content. Interestingly, what they found was that children who were watching more aggression on the screen demonstrated more aggressive behavior than kids who didn’t, regardless of how much or little screen time they were getting. The children engaging in more aggressive media were also shown to have less prosocial behavior than the other groups.
THE TAKEAWAY: We know that children in this age group are highly influential, and we've been seeing that much media or media of lesser quality can do a lot of damage in the long run. It’s important to remember how malleable their young minds are and to be aware of what kinds of media they are observing and how often they are viewing it. Violence in media in the adult world looks much more aggressive than it might in a youth program, and the study noted that this might be why it gets overlooked. One thing we can be proactive about is the actual content of children’s shows (and to not just accept it because of its genre). Television programs can be a great educational tool - as long as we are careful to not let violence seep in unnoticed!
Toddlers & the Telly
A latent profile analysis of children’s television time and content and behavioral outcomes one year later.
Holmgren, H. G., Stockdale, L., Shawcroft, J., Coyne, S. M., & Fraser, A. M. (2023). Toddlers and the Telly: A latent profile analysis of children’s television time and content and behavioral outcomes one year later in the US. Journal of children and media, 17(3), 298-317.
"Feeling It:"
Links between elements of compassion and sexual well-being.
Fraser, A. M., Leavitt, C. E., Yorgason, J. B., & Price, A. A. (2023). “Feeling It”: Links between elements of compassion and sexual well-being. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1017384.
THE GIST: Several components identified with compassion were measured, including mindfulness, compassionate attitudes, and compassionate behaviors. These were compared to measures of sexual well-being including sexual harmony, sexual frequency and orgasm consistency. Women’s sexual health positively correlated to husband’s relational compassionate attitudes (accessibility, responsiveness, and engagement) when investigated at a single point in time. Also, when compassionate behaviors (forgiveness & gratitude) increased, so did sexual well-being - this was true over several points in time. This was different from men, as their sexual well-being consistently correlated to compassionate behaviors from their wives, whether just at one point in time or even when measured over the two years that the study was conducted.
THE TAKEAWAY: An important element of maintaining sexual satisfaction over time in a marriage is to engage in compassionate behaviors of forgiveness towards and gratitude for your spouse. A simple ‘thank you’ or an ‘I forgive you’ really can go a long way. While women associated attitudes most strongly with sexual well-being at initial study, it was compassionate behaviors that really stayed relevant in the long run.
THE GIST: At around 2 years old, children can share and help. We were curious how these prosocial behaviors arise depending on who children are helping and the parent’s encouragement of the behavior. We observed infants from different races and socioeconomic backgrounds as they interacted with either their parents or random experimenters at the ages of 1-2 and 2-3. Overall, infants showed a preference towards helping and sharing with parents, and this preference seemed stronger with older children between the ages of 2 and 3.
THE TAKEAWAY: Children have a special connection with their parents. Most children learn about the world and start socializing with their parents– learning kindness, helping, and sharing from their example– and that history can shape children moving forward. Parents can provide that foundation of love and trust as children learn the skills to help others. It is interesting exploring children’s selective helping as they continue develop new behaviors and do things more intentionally.
Variability in infant helping and sharing behaviors across the second and third years of life:
Reschke, P. J., Fraser, A. M., Picket, J., Workman, K., Lehnardt, H., Stockdale, L. A., ... & Coyne, S. M. (2023). Variability in infant helping and sharing behaviors across the second and third years of life: Differential roles of target and socialization. Developmental Psychology, 59(3), 524.
Differential roles of target and socialization.
White children’s empathy-related responding and prosocial behavior toward White and Black children.
THE GIST: Racism and White supremacy continue to be major issues in the U.S., yet research rarely focuses on those who benefit from these systems - especially young White children. Understanding how racism or anti-racism develops early in life is crucial for promoting meaningful change. This study examined how young White children respond to Black and White peers in terms of empathy, kindness, and fairness. Research suggests that developing empathy and a sense of justice in childhood can lay the foundation for anti-racist attitudes later in life, especially when supported by anti-bias education and inclusive socialization.
THE TAKEAWAY: The findings from this study highlight the importance of exploring how biases form and change with age to foster anti-racist development early on. Teaching children empathy, fairness, and awareness of racial bias from a young age can help build a more just and equitable society.
Spinrad, T. L., Eisenberg, N., Xiao, S. X., Xu, J., Berger, R. H., Pierotti, S. L., ... & Lopez, J. (2023). White children's empathy‐related responding and prosocial behavior toward White and Black children. Child development, 94(1), 93-109.
THE GIST: Our study explored how young boys navigate social expectations and relationships, revealing three distinct social patterns. The largest group (50%) displayed traditional masculine behaviors and strong social skills but felt pressured to conform to masculine norms and were less likely to engage in prosocial behavior. Another group (41%) was socially confident without relying on traditional masculinity, showing kindness and cooperation while feeling little pressure to conform. A smaller group (9%) struggled socially and did not strongly identify with masculine norms. These findings highlight the different ways boys develop social identities and the role of gender expectations in shaping their behavior. Parents and teachers can use this insight to foster healthier social development by encouraging positive, inclusive forms of confidence and connection.
THE TAKEAWAY: Parents and teachers have a powerful role in shaping how young boys navigate social expectations. While traditional masculinity can encourage social connection, its link to lower prosocial behavior is concerning. Encouraging boys to associate masculinity with kindness and cooperation can help foster healthier social development. At the same time, we must support those who struggle socially, ensuring they feel included and valued. By promoting positive, inclusive social norms, we can help all boys build strong, compassionate relationships.
Too hunky to help:
A person-centered approach to masculinity and prosocial behavior among adolescent boys.
Nielson, M. G., Jenkins, D. L., & Fraser, A. M. (2023). Too hunky to help: A person-centered approach to masculinity and prosocial behavior beliefs among adolescent boys. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 40(9), 2763-2785.
Violence exposure, aggressive cognitions and violence high-risk behaviors among Colombian youth:
The moderating role of community belongingness.
Meléndez Guevara, A. M., Gaias, L. M., Fraser, A. M., & Lindstrom Johnson, S. (2022). Violence exposure, aggressive cognitions & externalizing behaviors among Colombian youth: The moderating role of community belongingness. Youth & Society, 54(6), 1023-1050.
THE GIST: Exposure to violence may influence youth outcomes. We researched three aspects of violence exposure: 1) witnessing violence, 2) victimization, and 3) armed conflict. More specifically, we looked at how these aspects related to Colombian youth's external behaviors through the indirect influence of aggressive thoughts and the moderating role of community belongingness. Externalizing behaviors include observable behaviors like aggression, delinquency, and substance use that may affect other people. We surveyed 3,483 high school students in Colombia. Findings indicate that all three aspects of violence exposure were related to youth showing externalized behaviors. Armed conflict and witnessing of violent acts could kind of predict internalized behaviors through the indirect effect of aggressive thoughts.
THE TAKEAWAY: Youth in Latin America, particularly in Colombia, are disproportionately affected by community violence and armed conflict, shaped by economic, social, and political instability. Colombia's decades-long conflict, driven by poverty, social inequity, gang activity, and drug trafficking, highlights the importance of understanding both risks and protective factors in addressing violence. Context plays a crucial role in shaping behaviors, influencing whether youth engage in externalizing behaviors or pursue positive change. Effective prevention and intervention strategies must consider these social factors to create culturally responsive solutions that enhance engagement and long-term impact.
THE GIST: This study looked at how being exposed to violence and conflict affects young people in Colombia. While we know that experiencing violence is harmful, there hasn’t been as much focus on the strengths that help youth cope and recover. Understanding these strengths is important for healing from long-term conflict and creating programs that support young people’s growth in difficult environments. The study found that youth with high exposure to both community violence and armed conflict tended to have lower hope, educational goals, and social skills.
THE TAKEAWAY: The findings suggest that looking at violence exposure in a more personalized way can provide better insights into what can be done to help. It also highlights the need to adapt violence prevention efforts to different communities and emphasize resilience-building strategies to support youth in their recovery and development.
A person-centered approach to violence exposure in post-war Colombian youth:
Fraser, A. M., Gaias, L. M., Guevara, A. M. M., & Johnson, S. L. (2022). A person-centered approach to violence exposure in postwar Colombian youth: demographic covariates and positive youth development outcomes. Journal of interpersonal violence, 37(15-16), NP13533-NP13559.
Demographic covariates and positive youth development outcomes.
College students' media habits, concern for themselves and others, and mental health in the era of COVID-19.
Fraser, A. M., Stockdale, L. A., Bryce, C. I., & Alexander, B. L. (2022). College students’ media habits, concern for themselves and others, and mental health in the era of COVID-19. Psychology of Popular Media, 11(2), 139.
THE GIST: The memory of COVID and the habits we made may have some effect on our lives today. As a topic of interest, we examined changing media patterns in 74 college students during and after the pandemic and how changes affected their feelings toward society and the future. We were also curious about the influence of anxiety and depression in relationships. Some surveys regarding time on TV, social media, and video game usage revealed that TV and video game usage increased between check-ins with these students, and social media use stayed very high. Generally speaking, those who watched more TV may have had greater concern for society. Other surveys suggest that changes in social media use may have lowered people’s anxiety by reducing their concerns for the future, and changes in social media use may have been associated with higher levels of depression.
THE TAKEAWAY: When trials (like the pandemic) come into our lives, we may find coping mechanisms and ways of escape where escape is not otherwise possible. The media we take in can have mixed results on our well-being, possibly even serving as coping mechanisms with various effects on our concerns for others and ourselves. Anxiety is often characterized as an outwardly expressed mental disorder that may be more connected to others, and depression is often characterized as inwardly experienced and thus more focused on the self. Anxiety and depression are increasingly prevalent in college campuses and it is important to examine factors that help and hinder student thriving.
THE GIST: We wanted to take a look at empathy in response to social victimization in young children. We showed kids video scenarios depicting injustices against racial groups and saw some interesting connections. The first was that children demonstrated mu suppression when they viewed scenarios of social victimization or injustice, similar to how there may have been an empathetic response if they had seen a scenario of social or physical pain. We also noticed that, among White children, it did not necessarily seem to matter what race was shown as being victimized; their mu suppression, the neural marker for empathy, remained pretty consistent.
THE TAKEAWAY: Our research reveals a powerful insight: young children may not initially show racial biases in their neural responses to social victimization, suggesting that these biases may be learned over time. This gives us as parents and educators a key opportunity to nurture empathy early. We can do this by fostering inclusive environments and modeling kindness for our youth. Children already seem to be great at empathizing with a diverse group of people - let us help them carry that incredible ability on the rest of their lives.
Children’s mu suppression is sensitive to witnessing others’ social victimization.
Fraser, A. M., Hampton, R. S., Spinrad, T. L., Varnum, M., Blais, C., Eisenberg, N., ... & Xiao, S. X. (2020). Children’s mu suppression is sensitive to witnessing others’ social victimization. Social Neuroscience, 15(3), 348-354.
Emotion-related socialization in the classroom:
Considering the roles of teachers, peers, and the classroom context.
Valiente, C., Swanson, J., DeLay, D., Fraser, A. M., & Parker, J. H. (2020). Emotion-related socialization in the classroom: Considering the roles of teachers, peers, and the classroom context. Developmental psychology, 56(3), 578.
THE GIST: We reviewed studies and teacher reports to research different factors present in school and how they might affect students academically and socially. At home, parents and siblings can be socializing forces. At school, teachers and classmates can emotionally shape students. Teachers intentionally teach students class subjects but they can also lead by example or unintentionally rub off on their students. They can also validate or invalidate students' emotions and behaviors. For better or worse, students can influence each other as they try to fit in. The classroom setting itself is influential, with expectations and opportunities for socialization (like through seating charts, classes, or groups). A little bit of order can be good for student development.
THE TAKEAWAY: Investigating socialization in the school setting is important because kids spend a lot of time there, and there are important formative interactions between students and teachers. Experiences and emotions can influence students' work. There is still room for similar socialization research across child development, education, and psychology. Perhaps by improving socialization in the classroom, we can promote student competence in emotions and academics.
THE GIST: We were interested in learning more about friendship, particularly the different aspects of friendship (like friend connection, companionship, and psychological control or manipulation). We wanted to see how these aspects could influence prosocial behavior– the voluntary acts of service or kindness that people do for each other. We collected information from 467 youth once and then roughly a year later. Overall, findings suggested that manipulating friends discouraged prosocial behavior between friends, while friendly connection helped to encourage prosocial behavior (sympathy even!). One interesting finding was that manipulation can exist even in high-quality friendships, whether at the beginning or later on, and people may hang out with others even though they can probably do better. This nuance of friendship is worth studying in further detail over time.
THE TAKEAWAY: Friendship is valuable and the friends we make can shape us. Friendships are important influences on adolescent sympathy and prosocial behavior towards friends. We can maintain good relationships with people through exchanging service and choosing kindness. People can have companionship, but that’s not the same as having good friends. When we have a strong connection with others, we can be motivated to be better people.
Associations between friendship, sympathy, and prosocial behavior toward friends.
Padilla‐Walker, L. M., Fraser, A. M., Black, B. B., & Bean, R. A. (2015). Associations between friendship, sympathy, and prosocial behavior toward friends. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 25(1), 28-35.
Adolescents’ prosocial behavior toward strangers, family and friends:
A person- centered approach.
Padilla‐Walker, L. M., Dyer, W. J., Yorgason, J. B., Fraser, A. M., & Coyne, S. M. (2015). Adolescents' prosocial behavior toward family, friends, and strangers: A person‐centered approach. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 25(1), 135-150.
THE GIST: We studied participants of the Flourishing Families project and found that prosocial behavior in adolescents to both strangers and friends possessed four distinct types and that behavior towards family possessed five. These classes describe a characterization of prosocial behavior such as low-stability, low-increasing, or otherwise defined by the presence of associated attributes such as self-regulation and sympathy. Membership of a type for one category, such as low-increasing amongst friends, predicted membership in other prosocial classes, such as low stability in family. A person’s prosocial behavior with family tended to remain stable or decrease over time, but over time, they became more prosocial towards others. The analysis found support for a mixture of prosocial development, finding that unlike with family and strangers, prosocial behavior nearly universally increased amongst friends. There was also a relationship between class and maternal warmth. However, sympathy, self-regulation and gender heavily predicted class, with girls tending to report higher prosocial behavior.
THE TAKEAWAY: Friends seem to provide a crucial role in adolescent development; they encourage prosocial development, even amongst adolescents that struggle to provide prosocial behavior towards family or strangers!
THE GIST: We examined the association between students’ moral personality and their low and high cost prosocial behavior towards strangers (basically, how much effort were they willing to freely give to helping others?). Personality seems to predict a person’s engagement with low-cost prosocial behavior. Also, high-cost prosocial behavior was less common among children and young adults. We wished to find whether high and low-cost prosocial behavior were differentially associated with moral personality over time. To do so, we studied 682 families in the Flourishing Families Project and measured their values, self-regulation, sympathy, and prosocial behavior through self-report. This study found that values were associated with both kinds of prosocial behavior, self-regulation predicted high-cost prosocial behavior, and sympathy predicted low-cost prosocial behavior. There were some reciprocal influences as well, for example, high-cost prosocial behavior influenced the development of prosocial values and low-cost prosocial behavior seemed to have reciprocal influence with sympathy.
THE TAKEAWAY: Behaviors influence our moral identity, and vice versa. Even a small act of prosocial behavior can go a long way. We should do our best to demonstrate and encourage those forms of selflessness. And when those acts come at a greater personal cost, it can do wonders for our personal moral development, and even self-regulation.
How much is it going to cost me?
Bidirectional relations between adolescents’ moral personality and prosocial behavior.
Padilla-Walker, L. M., & Fraser, A. M. (2014). How much is it going to cost me? Bidirectional relations between adolescents' moral personality and prosocial behavior. Journal of adolescence, 37(7), 993-1001.
Media time = family time:
Positive media use in families with adolescents.
Coyne, S. M., Padilla-Walker, L. M., Fraser, A. M., Fellows, K., & Day, R. D. (2014). “Media time= family time” positive media use in families with adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 29(5), 663-688.
THE GIST: We talked to over 600 parents and their teens for this study, and we explored some pretty interesting relationships between positive media use and its outcome on the family unit. We took a specific look at ‘entertainment’ media and ‘social media,’ and asked open-ended questions like “How do you use media as a positive force in your family?” We took those answers, as well as some survey questions, and the results suggested that in addition to what we already know about how families monitor or implement media, there are also many positive ways in which media is associated with family functioning, adolescent disclosure, and parent involvement.
THE TAKEAWAY: The main message from this study showed that many parents are using media in a variety of positive ways - not just to spend more time with their kids, but as a tool to become more involved, encourage conversations with their adolescents, and strengthen their family. All of these factors are critical for development in adolescence. Let’s keep finding creative and positive ways to integrate media into our homes. When used wisely, it truly can be a tool to foster greater connection and unity.
THE GIST: In this study, we analyzed 61 animated Disney and Disney/Pixar movies for prosocial behavior, meaning any action meant to benefit another person. Our results showed that Disney movies contain 1 act of prosocial behavior per minute, so every minute that a child watches a Disney movie, they watch 1 instance of someone serving or being kind to someone else. We also found that prosocial acts are 6 times more common than acts of aggressive behavior in Disney movies. Disney movies have over 3 times more prosocial behavior than found in other children’s television programs. In analyzing prosocial behavior, we categorized the specific types (verbal or physical) of prosocial behavior and motivations behind this behavior. We noted whether or not there was a cost or reward involved in the service given, the relationship between the helper and the character being helped, socioeconomic status of the characters, age, and attractiveness. They found that Disney characters were most likely to help their friends and other characters who are most similar to them in the factors listed above. This study does not explicitly state whether or not you should let your children watch Disney movies, but it seeks to highlight that Disney movies may be beneficial in this specific way.
THE TAKEAWAY: Disney movies overall promote prosocial behavior over violent/aggressive behavior. They show more prosocial behavior than other children’s shows. The study explains that not all prosocial behavior is created equal–sometimes the motivation behind prosocial actions is altruistic, meaning completely selfless, but other times, the motivation is a life or death situation or looking good in front of other people. As a parent, it’s important to be aware of the messages that your kids are getting out of the movies and tv shows they watch. Teach them that not only being kind is important, but also the motivation behind our kindness.
Is Disney the nicest place on earth?
A content analysis of prosocial behavior in animated Disney film.
Padilla-Walker, L. M., Coyne, S. M., Fraser, A. M., & Stockdale, L. A. (2013). Is Disney the nicest place on earth? A content analysis of prosocial behavior in animated Disney films. Journal of Communication, 63(2), 393-412.
Associations between violent video games, empathetic concern, and prosocial behavior toward strangers, friends, and family members
Fraser, A. M., Padilla-Walker, L. M., Coyne, S. M., Nelson, L. J., & Stockdale, L. A. (2012). Associations between violent video gaming, empathic concern, and prosocial behavior toward strangers, friends, and family members. Journal of youth and adolescence, 41, 636-649.
THE GIST: We studied the effects of violent video gaming in 780 emerging adults from four United States universities. We approached this study utilizing desensitization theory, or the theory that exposure to violence over time reduces people’s adverse reactions to it. Playing violent video games correlates to decreased prosocial behavior in young people and has an association with decreased concern for people in bad or violent situations. Utilizing interviews, we assessed empathetic concern and prosocial behavior in addition to violent video game playtime within the last 12 months. We found that most girls played no violent video games and were also significantly more prosocial and empathetic than boys. Overall, playing violent video games predicted less prosocial behavior towards family but did not predict anything about friends or strangers. However, it did have an association with less empathetic concern towards strangers, but the effects were very weak.
THE TAKEAWAY: Despite not having a particularly strong effect, consuming violent video games seems to have a relationship with less prosocial behavior and lower empathy.
THE GIST: We investigated how inside beliefs were related to outside behaviors and how both related to proactive parenting over time. After observing children and parents, we found results suggesting that youth with the most value-consistent behaviors were kids with proactive parents who respected their children and explained the reasoning behind their rules. While proactive approaches like sheltering could be effective at first, showing respect and allowing children autonomy as they get older may yield better results over time.
THE TAKEAWAY: What we value can affect our decisions in other parts of our lives. For example, parents who strongly value education may teach its importance to their children, who may then make choices in other facets of life to support their education. These decisions may include how they treat others, who they choose as friends, and what they do inside and outside of the classroom. Consistent individuals tended to have parents who worked together, showing children respect and teaching them values paired with reason. We should examine the broader family and home environment as other influencers of children's values and behaviors.
Walking the walk:
The moderating role of proactive parenting on adolescents’ value-congruent behaviors.
Padilla-Walker, L. M., Fraser, A. M., & Harper, J. M. (2012). Walking the walk: The moderating role of proactive parenting on adolescents' value-congruent behaviors. Journal of adolescence, 35(5), 1141-1152.
Getting a high speed family connection:
Associations between family media use and family connection.
Padilla‐Walker, L. M., Coyne, S. M., & Fraser, A. M. (2012). Getting a high‐speed family connection: Associations between family media use and family connection. Family Relations, 61(3), 426-440.
THE GIST: Family use of media has increased over the last decade. We observed the relationship between family use of media (phones, TV, video games, email, and social apps) and feelings of family connection in 453 youth and their parents. Among the different media types, families most commonly used cell phones and TV. For the most part, families who felt very connected had more family cell phone use, family movie/TV nights, and co-playing with video games. However, results were mixed with some families (or at least youth) feeling less connected when they engaged with family more on social sites.
THE TAKEAWAY: The relationship between media use and family connection was unclear, but one thought is that media use and family bonds might influence each other. To understand the mixed findings of our study, we should examine family interactions through their motivations, behaviors, and what they say to each other. Maybe positive messages have positive effects, and negative messages have negative effects. Parents and children may use media either as a tool to maintain status quos or to build relationships for the future. We should reflect on how media use affects the quality of our relationships and try to meet each other where we’re at.
THE GIST: We examined how parents changed their control over their children's screen time over three years – specifically with TV and the internet - and we watched how it changed both parent and child regarding screen time restriction, monitoring, and respect. For the first two years, parents mostly used active monitoring, but the last year’s observation showed active monitoring balanced with respect. Over time, restrictions and monitoring decreased, while respect increased. Outcomes varied based on parent and child characteristics (For example, parent’s beliefs, connection to the child, and parent’s media consumption–or children’s age, behavior, and emotional regulation).
THE TAKEAWAY: Parents tend to modify their monitoring style to adapt to the changing needs of their children. As parents and children change together and build respect, parents may become more flexible and allow more opportunities for autonomy. Parents who place a level of trust in their children may relax and have fewer discussions about media content, letting go of some rules and restrictions. Future research should continue the conversation on whether or not this media monitoring over time yields good or bad outcomes. Parents may need to monitor children’s screen time early to lay a good foundation before gradually letting adolescents monitor themselves responsibly.
Padilla-Walker, L. M., Coyne, S. M., Fraser, A. M., Dyer, W. J., & Yorgason, J. B. (2012). Parents and adolescents growing up in the digital age: Latent growth curve analysis of proactive media monitoring. Journal of adolescence, 35(5), 1153-1165.
Parents and adolescents growing up in the Digital Age:
Latent growth curve analysis of proactive media monitoring.
Profanity in media associated with attitudes and behavior regarding profanity use and aggression.
Coyne, S. M., Stockdale, L. A., Nelson, D. A., & Fraser, A. (2011). Profanity in media associated with attitudes and behavior regarding profanity use and aggression. Pediatrics, 128(5), 867-872.
THE GIST: Researchers surveyed 223 middle schoolers on 1) the profanity they saw in the media, 2) attitudes and behavior regarding profanity, and 3) aggressive behaviors. Based on these surveys, researchers found that all three factors were positively related. More exposure to profanity in media was positively related to aggressive behavior, and attitudes about profanity had a heavy influence in the equation. Exposure can relate to more profanity-accepting beliefs and the practice of profanity is related to aggressive behaviors and more hostile personalities.
THE TAKEAWAY: The media we consume can affect our attitudes, behaviors, and what we tolerate in our lives. The people we watch on TV with their thoughts and actions can influence our own thoughts and actions. Children and adolescents might be extra susceptible to the media’s influence because they are still developing. Considering the negative outcomes associated with profanity, parents and lawmakers should consider the appropriateness of media content children consume.