The Cambridge Handbook of Prosociality: Development, Mechanisms, Promotion

Prosociality is a multifaceted concept referring to the many ways in which individuals care about and benefit others. Human prosociality is foundational to social harmony, happiness, and peace; it is therefore essential to understand its underpinnings, development, and cultivation. This handbook provides a state-of-the-art, in-depth account of scientific, theoretical, and practical knowledge regarding prosociality and its development. Its thirty chapters, written by international researchers in the field, elucidate key issues, including: the development of prosociality across infancy, childhood, adolescence, and beyond; the biological, cognitive, emotional, and motivational mechanisms that underlie and influence prosociality; how different socialization agents and social contexts can affect children's prosociality; and intervention approaches aimed at cultivating prosociality in children and adolescents. This knowledge can benefit researchers, students, practitioners, and policy makers seeking to nurture socially responsible, caring youth.

Tina Malti is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Centre for Child Development, Mental Health, and Policy at the University of Toronto, Canada. She studies why certain children become aggressive while others show high levels of concern from a young age, and how to nurture wellbeing and ethical orientations in all children. She is co-editor of the Handbook of Child and Adolescent Aggression (2018) and president of the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development.

Maayan Davidov is Associate Professor in the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. She received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Toronto, Canada. She pursues research on the development of empathy in the early years, different aspects of parenting and their contributions to children's functioning, and cultural influences on socialization.