Character Strengths and Prosocial Behavior in Adolescents

Abstract

Introduction. Several studies have highlighted the relationship between character strengths, psychological well-being, and socio-emotional adjustment during adolescence. Prosocial behaviors, which are essential at this stage, promote social integration and personal development. This study aimed to analyze the extent to which character strengths predict prosocial behavior in adolescents.
Method. A total of 297 adolescents from the provinces of Entre Ríos and Corrientes participated through intentional sampling, including 182 females (61.3%) and 115 males, aged between 12 and 18 years (M=13.86; SD=1.59). The Prosocial Behavior Scale for Adolescents and the short version of the VIA-Youth were used to assess character strengths (interpersonal, intrapersonal, and intellectual). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted.
Results. Results showed that interpersonal strengths explained 31.7% of the variance in prosocial behavior (β=0.56; p<0.001). Although the inclusion of other dimensions slightly increased the explained variance, these changes were not significant.
Conclusions. It is concluded that strengths such as gratitude, teamwork, love, and forgiveness positively influence prosocial behavior, and fostering these traits could contribute to the socio-emotional well-being of adolescents.