Variability in Infant Helping and Sharing Behaviors Across the Second and Third Years of Life: Differential Roles of Target and Socialization

Infants can help and share in the second year of life. However, there is limited knowledge as to variability in these behaviors as a function of target (e.g., caregiver vs. unfamiliar adult) and the influence of caregiver support on infant prosocial behavior. Infants (N = 268, 124 female) at 1-2 years of age (M = 1.47, SD = .27) and again at 2-3 years of age (M = 2.48, SD = .26) participated in a helping task (with the caregiver or unfamiliar experimenter), a sharing task (with either target), and a free-play observation with their primary caregiver from which caregiver support was coded. The racial and ethnic composition of the sample consisted of 3% Asian, 10% Black, 20% Hispanic, 59% White, 1% mixed race, and 6% "other." Median family annual income was $50,000 to $59,000, and median caregiver education level was "some college." Infant helping favored caregivers at both time points. However, infant sharing did not differ by target for 1-2-year-olds, but 2-3-year-olds shared more with their caregivers than an unfamiliar experimenter. Additionally, infants' behaviors antecedent to the act of helping or sharing (e.g., latency to respond, checking behaviors, and looking duration toward the target) differed by target. Concurrent relations between caregiver support and helping and sharing were moderated by age and differed by time point. Caregiver support for 1-2-year-olds also longitudinally predicted an age-moderated relation with 2-3-year-olds' helping toward an unfamiliar experimenter. Theoretical implications for the role of socialization in the emergence of helping and sharing behaviors are discussed.