ERIC Number: EJ1263942
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Aug
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0012-1649
EISSN: N/A
The Development of Prosociality among Christian Arab Children in Israel: The Role of Children's Household Religiosity and of the Recipient's Neediness
Sabato, Hagit; Kogut, Tehila
Developmental Psychology, v56 n8 p1509-1517 Aug 2020
We examined the development of sharing behavior of children (aged 6 to 12) within the unique, minority population of Christian Arab children in Israel (N = 319). Children had the opportunity to share candy with a needy or non-needy recipient. Parents' level of religiosity was assessed using the Duke University Religion Index questionnaire (DUREL). Results replicate previous research that focused primarily on the majority populations of the societies in question, by demonstrating an overall increase in the incidence of sharing with age. Furthermore--as previously found among the majority of Jewish children in Israel--the recipient's neediness moderated the association between household religiosity and sharing, such that religiosity predicted greater levels of sharing only when the recipient was described as "poor" (a child whose parents have little money), not when the prospective recipient was not specified as such. Finally, the neediness of the recipient increased the incidence of sharing regardless of age, suggesting that in this unique minority population, sensitivity to the recipient's neediness emerges already at the age of 6. We discuss possible mechanisms behind this developmental pattern.
Descriptors: Social Development, Arabs, Christianity, Foreign Countries, Sharing Behavior, Religious Factors, Economically Disadvantaged, Incidence, Cultural Influences, Family Environment, Elementary School Students, Social Values, Behavior Patterns, Minority Group Children
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Israel
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A