Prosociality in adolescents: an intervention experience

Abstract

The present study introduces an intervention conducted with adolescent students from municipal public schools. The intervention involved two groups (n = 20; n = 18) of sixth-grade students. The intervention program was based on the “Core Program” developed by LIPA (Applied Prosocial Research Laboratory) at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and was adapted for this application. Prosociality can be defined as a set of voluntary behaviors intended to benefit others without the expectation of external rewards. These behaviors strengthen social bonds and foster fundamental values for the development of healthy interpersonal relationships. Given the current social and economic conditions, adolescents living in urban centers are immersed in a reality marked by violence and antisocial behaviors. The objective was to observe changes in adolescents’ behaviors following the intervention, measuring the level of prosociality. Twenty 90-minute sessions were conducted weekly, along with three evaluations to identify the participants’ levels of prosociality (baseline, final, and follow-up). The instrument used was the EPA-A (Prosocial Behavior Assessment Scale for Adolescents). An improvement in prosocial behaviors among the adolescents was observed following the intervention, as evidenced by their interactions with peers in the group and with the researcher. In the various dimensions analyzed (Helping, Sharing, Positive Climate, Caring, and Empathy), positive trends were noted when positive and healthy attitudes were encouraged. This indicates that introducing socioemotional interventions in the school environment can lead to both individual and collective changes.