Relationships Among Parental Warmth, Interpersonal Trust, Gratitude, and Prosocial Behavior in Adolescents: A Three‐Wave Study

Abstract

On the basis of social learning theory and the broaden‐and‐build theory of positive emotions, this study is aimed at exploring the longitudinal relationships between parental warmth and prosocial behavior among adolescents and determining whether this relationship is mediated by gratitude and moderated by interpersonal trust. Prosocial behavior plays a crucial role in adolescent socialization, which is strongly affected by the family environment. However, the longitudinal relationships between parental warmth and prosocial behavior and the internal psychological mechanisms driving these relationships in adolescents are still unclear. Using a three‐wave longitudinal research design, this study explores the longitudinal relationships among parental warmth, interpersonal trust, gratitude and prosocial behavior among adolescents. A total of 1332 adolescents completed questionnaires on parental warmth and interpersonal trust at Time 1, on gratitude at Time 2, and on prosocial behavior at Time 3. PROCESS Macro's Model 4 and Model 8 were used for mediation and moderation testing. Parental warmth positively predicted prosocial behavior through gratitude. Interpersonal trust longitudinally moderated both the direct relationship and the indirect relationship between parental warmth and prosocial behavior, which is mediated by gratitude. This study emphasizes the positive effects of parental warmth on adolescents' prosocial behavior. Gratitude functions as a mediating link between parental warmth and prosocial behavior. Compared with adolescents with low levels of interpersonal trust, those with high levels of interpersonal trust are generally able to develop better interpersonal relationships, are more capable of perceiving parental warmth, and thus exhibit more prosocial behaviors.