Prosocial moral reasoning and prosocial behavior among Turkish and Spanish adolescents

Abstract

Prosocial moral reasoning and behavior of young people in early and middle adolescence were examined in relation to the association among the variable of cultural group, age, and gender. Adolescents from Valencia, Spain (673 boys, 579 girls) and Ankara, Turkey (185 boys, 145 girls) participated in this study. Results showed significant cultural group differences on both prosocial moral reasoning subscales and peer rating of prosocial behavior with Spanish adolescents scoring higher than Turkish adolescents, and in the pattern of relationships between these variables. There were also age group and gender differences on some types of prosocial moral reasoning and behaviors, but the effect sizes were small and the differences were very small. Findings suggest culture-specific patterns of prosocial behavior among the adolescents in the two samples.