Researchers find that when parents

Researchers find that when parents
are very clear about the kind of behavior they expect—and what they do not
wish to see—children indeed become
more helpful and caring than when
expectations are less clearly defined
(Eisenberg, Fabes, & Spinrad 2006).
An especially strong influence on prosocial development is adults’ use of the
discipline strategy induction—pointing
out the reasons for rules or the effect of
one’s behavior on others. For example,
Marta’s mother explains how her daughter’s friend Sarah is feeling because of
Marta’s hurtful comments. As summarized by Eisenberg and her coauthors
(2006), research indicates that induction
strategies are most likely to be effective when they are presented at the
child’s developmental level, clear and
consistent, and delivered by someone
with whom the child has a close, warm
relationship—which could potentially
include both parents and teachers.
Adults differ a great deal in how
clearly they communicate prosocial
expectations to children. Although a full
discussion of cross-cultural research
on prosocial development is not our
intention in this article, it is important
to point out that there are large cultural
differences and that adults in some
cultures emphasize prosocial skills far
more than others (Levine, Norenzayan,
& Philbrick 2001; Eisenberg, Fabes, &