The relation of altruistic orientation to prosocial and antisocial behavior of Chinese children

Few studies in literature have explored the relation of altruistic orientation with prosocial and antisocial behavior of primary school and junior high school students in a single design. The present study attempted to fill this research gap. In particular, the present study also investigates the relation of human relationships and altruism with prosocial and delinquent behavior across different situations. The major findings are summarized as follows: (1) Delinquent behavior increased with age but prosocial behavior did not change significantly with age. (2) The tendency of an actor to sacrifice his or her life for a recipient decreased with age, and it associated negatively with delinquent behavior. (3) The tendency of an actor to give up rescuing a stranger and turn to rescue another stranger or an enemy in danger decreased with age, and it associated negatively with delinquent behavior. (4) The tendency of an actor to help a recipient by covering up his or her crime increased with age, and it associated positively with delinquent behavior. (5) The altruistic orientation did not correlate significantly with prosocial behavior.