Altruistic Behaviors and Friendship Quality in Middle Childhood: The Mediating Role of Empathy

Abstract

Prosocial behaviors are essential for fostering cooperative and supportive peer relationships in middle childhood. Among these, altruism represents a core form of prosocial action. Empathy, awareness of others' emotional states, facilitates prosocial interactions. Although previous research has established links among empathy, prosocial behaviors, and social adjustment, less is known about the mechanisms through which specific components of empathy influence the relationship between altruistic behaviors and friendships. This study examined whether cognitive and affective dimensions of empathy mediate the association between altruistic behaviors and both positive and negative aspects of children's best-friendships. 328 Greek elementary school students (170 boys, 158 girls; M age = 10.10 years) completed validated self-report questionnaires assessing altruistic behaviors, empathy, and positive and negative quality of their best-friendships. Mediation analyses indicated that altruistic behaviors were positively associated with all facets of empathy. Empathic sadness and tearful reactions significantly mediated the relationship between altruism and positive friendship quality, whereas understanding of emotions and empathic sadness mediated the relationship between altruism and negative friendship quality. The distinct roles of cognitive and affective empathy in promoting positive peer relationships and the importance of cultivating empathy to support children's close friendships are discussed.