Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Longitudinal Associations between Maternal Involvement, Cultural Orientations, and Prosocial Behaviors Among Recent Immigrant Latino Adolescents

  • Empirical Research
  • Published:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Prosocial behaviors (i.e., actions that benefit others) are important markers of healthy social functioning, and understanding the factors that predict such outcomes among recent immigrant Latino adolescents is important. The current study examines the longitudinal associations between maternal involvement and prosocial behaviors via collectivism values. Data comes from a longitudinal project (Construyendo Oportunidades Para los Adolescentes Latinos) of 302 recently immigrated U.S. Latina/o adolescents (53.3% male, average age = 14.51 years old). The current study uses data from three times points across 2 years. The results demonstrated that maternal involvement was positively associated with collectivism values. Collectivism was positively associated with changes in prosocial behaviors. There was also partial support for a reverse-causal model. Discussion focuses on the links among parenting, cultural values, and prosocial behaviors among immigrant U.S. Latina/o adolescents.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Armenta, B. E., Knight, G. P., Carlo, G., & Jacobson, R. P. (2010). The relation between ethnic group attachment and prosocial tendencies: The mediating role of cultural values. European Journal of Social Psychology, 41(1), 107–115. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.742.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, R. Q. (1968). A reinterpretation of the direction of effects in studies of socialization. Psychological Review, 75, 81–95. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0025583.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bell, R. Q. (1977). Socialization findings re-examined. In R. Q. Bell & R. V. Harper (Eds.), Child effects on adults (pp. 53–84). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Byrne, B. M. (2010). Structural equation modeling with AMOS: Basic concepts, applications, and programming. Ottawa, ON: Routledge Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calderón-Tena, C. O., Knight, G. P., & Carlo, G. (2011). The socialization of prosocial behavioral tendencies among Mexican American adolescents: The role of familism values. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 17(1), 98–106. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021925.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cantillon, D. (2006). Community social organization, parents, and peers as mediators of perceived neighborhood block characteristics on delinquent and prosocial activities. American Journal of Community Psychology, 37(1-2), 413–413. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-005-9000-9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlo, G. (2014). The development and correlates of prosocial moral behaviors. In M. Killen & J. G. Smetana (Eds.), Handbook of moral development (2nd ed., pp. 208–234). New York, NY: Psychology Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlo, G., & Conejo, L.D. (2017). Traditional and culture-specific parenting of prosociality in U.S. Latino/as. In D. Laible, L. Padilla-Walker & G. Carlo (Eds.), Oxford handbook of parenting and moral development. New York: Oxford University Press.

  • Carlo, G., Fabes, R. A., Laible, D., & Kupanoff, K. (1999). Early adolescence and prosocial/moral behavior II: The role of social and contextual influences. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 19(2), 133–147. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431699019002001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlo, G., Hausmann, A., Christiansen, S., & Randall, B. A. (2003). Sociocognitive and behavioral correlates of a measure of prosocial tendencies for adolescents. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 23(1), 107–134. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431602239132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlo, G., Mestre, M. V., Samper, P., Tur, A., & Armenta, B. E. (2011). The longitudinal relations among dimensions of parenting styles, sympathy, prosocial moral reasoning, and prosocial behaviors. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 35(2), 116–124. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025410375921.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlo, G., & Randall, B. (2001). Are all prosocial behaviors equal? A socioecological developmental conception of prosocial behavior. In F. Columbus (Ed.), Advances in psychology research (Vol. II,pp. 151–170). Huntington, NY: Nova Science Publishers.

  • Carlo, G., & Randall, B. A. (2002). The development of a measure of prosocial behaviors for late adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 31(1), 31–44. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014033032440.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Darling, N., & Steinberg, L. (1993). Parenting style as context: An integrative model. Psychological Bulletin, 113(3), 487–496. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.113.3.487.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, A. N., Carlo, G., & Knight, G. P. (2015). Perceived maternal parenting styles, cultural values, and prosocial tendencies among Mexican American youth. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 176(4), 235–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221325.2015.1044494.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, A. N., Carlo, G., Streit, E., & Crockett, L. J. (2017). Considering economic stress and empathic traits in predicting prosocial behaviors among U.S. Latino adolescents. Social Development. https://doi.org/10.1111/sode.12249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delgado-Gaitan, C. (1994). Socializing young children in Mexican-American families: An intergenerational perspective. In P. M. Greenfield & R. R. Cocking (Eds.), Cross-cultural roots of minority child development. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Domènech Rodriguez, M. M., Donovick, M. R., & Crowley, S. L. (2009). Parenting styles in a cultural context: Observations of “protective parenting” in first‐generation Latinos. Family Process, 48(2), 195–210. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2009.01277.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, N. (1986). Altruistic emotion, cognition and behavior. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finkelstein, M. A. (2010). Individualism/collectivism: Implications for the volunteer process. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 38(4), 445–452. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2010.38.4.445.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuller, B., & Garcia Coll, C. (2010). Learning from Latinos: Contexts, families, and child development in motion. Developmental Psychology, 46, 559–565. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019412.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzales, N. A., Knight, G. P., Birman, D., & Sirolli, A. A. (2004). Acculturation and enculturation among Latino youth. In K. I. Maton & C. J. Schellenbach (Eds.), Investing in children, youth, families, and communities: Strengths-based research and policy (pp. 285–302). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Gorman-Smith, D., Tolan, P. H., Zelli, A., & Huesmann, L. R. (1996). The relation of family functioning to violence among inner-city minority youths. Journal of Family Psychology, 10, 115–129. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.10.2.115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grau, J. M., Azmitia, M., & Quattlebaum, J. (2009). Latino families: Parenting, relational, and developmental processes. In F. A. Villarruel, G. Carlo, J. M. Grau, M. Azmitia, N. J. Cabrera & T. J. Chahin (Eds.), Handbook of US Latino psychology: Developmental and community-based perspectives (pp. 153–170). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hardway, C., & Fuligni, A. J. (2006). Dimensions of family connectedness among adolescents with Mexican, Chinese, and European backgrounds. Developmental Psychology, 42, 1246–1258. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.42.6.1246.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harris, T. L., & Molock, S. D. (2000). Cultural orientation, family cohesion, and family support in suicide ideation and depression among African American college students. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 30(4), 341–353. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1943-278X.2000.tb01100.x.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harwood, R, Leyendecker, B, Carlson, V, Ascencio, M., & Miller, A. (2002). Parenting among Latino families in the U.S. In M. H. Bornstein (ed.) Handbook of parenting (vol. 4, pp. 21–46). Hoboken, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

  • Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Janssens, J. M., & Deković, M. (1997). Child rearing, prosocial moral reasoning, and prosocial behaviour. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 20(3), 509–527. https://doi.org/10.1080/016502597385252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkinson, C. E., Dickens, A. P., Jones, K., Thompson-Coon, J., Taylor, R. S., Rogers, M., & Richards, S. H. (2013). Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers. BMC Public Health, 13(1), 773–783. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-773.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. H. (2007). The relationship between parental involvement and urban secondary school student academic achievement a meta-analysis. Urban Education, 42(1), 82–110. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085906293818.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kapke, T. L., Grace, M. A., Gerdes, A. C., & Lawton, K. E. (2016). Latino early adolescent mental health: Examining the impact of family functioning, familism, and global self-worth. Journal of Latina/o Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/lat0000057.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kashima, Y., Yamaguchi, S., Kim, U., Choi, S. C., Gelfand, M. J., & Yuki, M. (1995). Culture, gender, and self: a perspective from individualism-collectivism research. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(5), 925–937. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.69.5.925.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kerr, M. H., Beck, K., Downs Shattuck, T., Kattar, C., & Uriburu, D. (2003). Family involvement, problem and prosocial behavior outcomes of Latino youth. American Journal of Health Behavior, 27(1), S55–S65.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Knight, G. P., Berkel, C., Umaña‐Taylor, A. J., Gonzales, N. A., Ettekal, I., Jaconis, M., & Boyd, B. M. (2011). The familial socialization of culturally related values in Mexican American families. Journal of Marriage and Family, 73(5), 913–925. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2011.00856.x.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Knight, G. P., Bernal, M. E., Garza, C. A., & Cota, M. K. (1993a). A social cognitive model of ethnic identity and ethnically-based behaviors. In M. E. Bernal & G. P. Knight (Eds.), Ethnic identity: Formation and transmission among Hispanics and other minorities (pp. 213–234). Albany: State University of New York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knight, G. P., & Carlo, G. (2012). Prosocial development among Mexican American youth. Child Development Perspectives, 6(3), 258–263. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-8606.2012.00233.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knight, G. P., Carlo, G., Basilio, C. D., & Jacobson, R. P. (2015). Familism values, perspective taking, and prosocial moral reasoning: Predicting prosocial tendencies among Mexican American adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 25(4), 717–727. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knight, G. P., Carlo, G., Mahrer, N. E., & Davis, A. N. (2016). The socialization of culturally related values and prosocial tendencies among Mexican‐American Adolescents. Child Development, 87(6), 1758–1771. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12634.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Knight, G. P., Cota, M. K., & Bernal, M. E. (1993b). The socialization of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic preferences among Mexican American children: The mediating role of ethnic identity. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 15, 291–309. https://doi.org/10.1177/07399863930153001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krevans, J., & Gibbs, J. C. (1996). Parents’ use of inductive discipline: Relations to children’s empathy and prosocial behavior. Child Development, 67(6), 3263–3277. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1996.tb01913.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Korelitz, K. E., & Garber, J. (2016). Congruence of parents’ and children’s perceptions of parenting: A meta-analysis. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 45(10), 1973–1995. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0524-0.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Krogstad, J. M., & Lopez, M. H. (2014). Hispanic nativity shift: U.S. births drive population growth as immigration stalls. Washington DC: Pew Research Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorenzo-Blanco, E. I., Unger, J. B., Ritt-Olson, A., Soto, D., & Baezconde-Garbanati, L. (2013). A longitudinal analysis of Hispanic youth acculturation and cigarette smoking: The roles of gender, culture, family, and discrimination. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 15(5), 957–968. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/nts204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maccoby, E. E., & Martin, J. A. (1983). Socialization in the context of the family: Parent–child interaction. In E. M. Hetherington (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: 4, Socialization, personality, and social development (pp. 1–101). New York, NY: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Markiewicz, D., Doyle, A. B., & Brendgen, M. (2001). The quality of adolescents’ friendships: Associations with mothers’ interpersonal relationships, attachments to parents and friends, and prosocial behaviors. Journal of Adolescence, 24(4), 429–445. https://doi.org/10.1006/jado.2001.0374.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (2010). Mplus user’s guide. Los Angeles, CA: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Padilla-Walker, L. M. (2014). Parental socialization of prosocial behaviors: A multidimensional approach. In L. M. Padilla-Walker & G. Carlo (Eds.), Prosocial Development: A Multidimensional Approach. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Padilla‐Walker, L. M., Carlo, G., Christensen, K. J., & Yorgason, J. B. (2012). Bidirectional relations between authoritative parenting and adolescents’ prosocial behaviors. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 22(3), 400–408. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2012.00807.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patten, E. (2016). The Nation’s Latino population is defined by it’s youth: Nearly half of U.S. born Latinos are younger than 18. Washington DC: Pew Research Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paulson, S. E., & Sputa, C. L. (1996). Patterns of parenting during adolescence: Perceptions of adolescents and parents. Adolescence, 31(122), 369–382.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pinquart, M., & Silbereisen, R. K. (2004). Transmission of values from adolescents to their parents: The role of value content and authoritative parenting. Adolescence, 39(153), 83–100.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Portes, A., & Runbaut, R. G. (2006). Immigrant America: A portrait (3rd ed.). Berkley, CA: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raeff, C., Greenfield, P. M., & Quiroz, B. (2000). Conceptualizing interpersonal relationships in the cultural contexts of individualism and collectivism. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2000(87), 59–74. https://doi.org/10.1002/cd.23220008706.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez, M. C., & Morrobel, D. (2004). A review of Latino youth development research and a call for an asset orientation. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 26(2), 107–127. https://doi.org/10.1525/aeq.2004.35.1.53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roos, S., Hodges, E. V., & Salmivalli, C. (2014). Do guilt-and shame-proneness differentially predict prosocial, aggressive, and withdrawn behaviors during early adolescence? Developmental Psychology, 50(3), 941–946. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033904.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Santisteban, D. A., Muir-Malcolm, J. A., Mitrani, V. B., & Szapocznik, J. (2002). Integrating the study of ethnic culture and family psychology intervention science. In H. A. Liddle, D. A. Santisteban, R. F. Levant & J. H. Bray (Eds.), Family psychology: Science-based interventions (pp. 331–351). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. J., Unger, J. B., Baezconde‐Garbanati, L., Benet‐Martínez, V., Meca, A., Zamboanga, B. L., & Szapocznik, J. (2015a). Longitudinal trajectories of bicultural identity integration in recently immigrated Hispanic adolescents: Links with mental health and family functioning. International Journal of Psychology, 50(6), 440–450. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12196.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. J., Unger, J. B., Des Rosiers, S. E., Lorenzo-Blanco, E. I., Zamboanga, B. L., Huang, S., et al. (2014). Domains of acculturation and their effects on substance use and sexual behavior in recent Hispanic immigrant adolescents. Prevention Science, 15(3), 385–396. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-013-0419-1.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. J., Unger, J. B., Zamboanga, B. L., Córdova, D., Mason, C. A., Huang, S., & Szapocznik, J. (2015). Developmental trajectories of acculturation: Links with family functioning and mental health in recent‐immigrant Hispanic adolescents. Child Development, 86(3), 726–748. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12341.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Singelis, T. M., Triandis, H. C., Bhawuk, D., & Gelfand, M. (1995). Horizontal and vertical dimensions of individualism and collectivism: A theoretical and measurement refinement. Cross-Cultural Refinement, 29, 240–275. https://doi.org/10.1177/106939719502900302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, E. J. (2006). The strength-based counseling model. The Counseling Psychologist, 34, 13–79. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000005277018.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Super, C. M., & Harkness, S. (2002). Culture structures the environment for development. Human Development, 45(4), 270–274. https://doi.org/10.1159/000064988.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Triandis, H. C. (1988). Collectivism and development. In D. Sinha & H. S. R. Kao (Eds.), Social values and development: Asian perspectives (pp. 285–303). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Triandis, H. C. (1989). The self and social behavior in differing cultural contexts. Psychological Review, 96(3), 506–520. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.96.3.506.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Triandis, H. C. (1990). Cross-cultural studies of individualism and collectivism. In J. Berman (Ed.), Cross-cultural perspectives: Nebraska symposium on motivation 1989, (41–133). Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Umaña‐Taylor, A. J., Alfaro, E. C., Bámaca, M. Y., & Guimond, A. B. (2009). The central role of familial ethnic socialization in Latino adolescents’ cultural orientation. Journal of Marriage and Family, 71(1), 46–60. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2008.00579.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wentzel, K. R. (1993). Does being good make the grade? Social behavior and academic competence in middle school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85(2), 357–364. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.85.2.357.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Maria-Rosa Velazquez, Tatiana Clavijo, Mercedes Prado, Alba Alfonso, Aleyda Marcos, Daisy Ramirez, Lissette Ramirez, and Perlita Carrillo for their hard work conducting assessments and tracking families. We would also like to thank Dr. Judy Arroyo for her guidance and wisdom. Finally, we would like to thank the study families for sharing their experiences with us.

Authors’ Contributions

A. N. D. conceived the study, conducted the analyses, and was primarily responsible for writing the manuscript. G. C. helped with study development and assisted with writing and revising the manuscript. C. S. assisted with manuscript development and provided feedback throughout the process. S. J. S. and J. B. U. were the principal investigators on the COPAL project and provided extensive feedback on the data analyses and manuscript drafts. L. B. and J. S. are members of the COPAL research team and provided feedback on the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of this manuscript.

Funding

The research presented here was supported by National Institute on Drug Abuse grant DA026594 (Seth J. Schwartz and Jennifer B. Unger, Principal Investigators).

Data Sharing Declaration

This manuscript’s data will not be deposited.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    Alexandra N. Davis & Cara Streit

  2. University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Gustavo Carlo

  3. University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA

    Seth J. Schwartz & Jose Szapocznik

  4. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Jennifer B. Unger & Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati

Authors
  1. Alexandra N. Davis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gustavo Carlo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  3. Cara Streit
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  4. Seth J. Schwartz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jennifer B. Unger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jose Szapocznik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alexandra N. Davis.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical Approval

The Institutional Review Board at the University of Miami and the University of Southern California approved the current study.

Informed Consent

Parents and adolescents provided informed consent prior to data collection.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Davis, A.N., Carlo, G., Streit, C. et al. Longitudinal Associations between Maternal Involvement, Cultural Orientations, and Prosocial Behaviors Among Recent Immigrant Latino Adolescents. J Youth Adolescence 47, 460–472 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-017-0792-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-017-0792-3

Keywords