Chinese adolescents' power distance value and prosocial behavior toward powerful people: A longitudinal study

PLoS One. 2018 Dec 6;13(12):e0208473. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208473. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

We were interested in how specific cultural value and adolescent social behavior would influence each other over time. Thus the present study explored the longitudinal and bidirectional relations between adolescents' power distance value and prosocial behavior toward powerful people over a year. A sample of 434 Chinese adolescents participated in the investigation (initial mean age = 11.27; 54.15% females). The results based on cross-lagged models showed that, earlier prosocial behavior toward powerful people was positively correlated to subsequent power distance value, but not vice versa. The findings point toward an understanding of the important role of adolescent social behavior on his/her cultural value development, and also shed light on future research in terms of the interplay between cultural values and individual's social behaviors in other cultures.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior / psychology*
  • Child
  • China
  • Culture
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Power, Psychological
  • Social Behavior*

Grants and funding

This research was supported by 2017 Beijing Social Science Fund (17JYC017; http://www.bjpopss.gov.cn/): “Psychological Causes and Prevention of School Bullying in Beijing” to XF, and Beijing Education Science “13th Five-Year Plan” 2018 Annual Project (BCEA18049; http://gh.bjedu.cn/index.html): “Influence of Prosocial Behavior on Middle School Students’ Sense of Attainment and Promotion Strategy in Beijing” to XF. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.