The Multiplicative Relations of Parenting and Temperament to Prosocial and Antisocial Behaviors in Adolescence

Abstract

The present study was designed to examine the multiplicative relations of sociability and anger temperaments, and parental support, to prosocial and antisocial outcomes. Eighty adolescents completed self-report measures of aggression, antisocial behaviors, sympathy, and prosocial behaviors. Parents reported on their adolescent's sociability and anger, and on their level of parental support. Significant three-way interactions showed that levels of aggression and antisocial behaviors were low when levels of parental support were high and levels of anger and sociability were low. Levels of aggression were high when levels of anger and maternal support were high and levels of sociability were low. In contrast, levels of sympathy were high when levels of sociability were low. Maternal report of adolescents' anger were related negatively to prosocial outcomes and related positively to antisocial outcomes. The discussion focuses on the usefulness of multiplicative models of parenting and temperament.