The current study focuses on the influence of giftedness and pubertal phase on prosocial giving. Specifically, it was examined whether young adolescents differentiate between different targets in...Show moreThe current study focuses on the influence of giftedness and pubertal phase on prosocial giving. Specifically, it was examined whether young adolescents differentiate between different targets in prosocial giving, whether gifted young adolescents show more prosocial giving than non-gifted young adolescents and whether young adolescents in pubertal phase show more prosocial giving than young adolescents in pre-pubertal phase. The participants were 145 young adolescents (9-12 years old) who performed the Prosocial Donation Task (PDT) and filled out the Pubertal Development Scale (PDS). In the PDT participants divided ten coins between themselves and a specific target (friend, disliked peer, anonymous peer, father and mother). We measured their pubertal development with the PDS, after which we compared it to the Tanner Stages. This study found that young adolescents differentiate in prosocial giving towards the different targets, and that disliked peers and anonymous peers receive fewer coins than friends or parents. However, we did not find that gifted adolescents engage in more prosocial giving than non-gifted adolescents. The results of puberty showed that the pubertal phase itself does not affect prosocial giving, but that young adolescent girls do differentiate differently towards the targets than young adolescent girls in pre-pubertal phase do. For boys we found that young adolescent boys in pre-pubertal phase give fewer coins towards anonymous peers than young adolescent boys in pubertal phase. These findings suggest that targets influence young adolescents’ prosocial giving, which is insightful for social development in young adolescents. Young adolescents can act upon the person facing them and indicate that they show more prosocial giving towards their in-group than an out-group, which is in line with earlier research.Show less
This study focuses on the relationship between giftedness and prosocial giving behaviour. This study examined whether early adolescents give differently towards various targets, whether gifted...Show moreThis study focuses on the relationship between giftedness and prosocial giving behaviour. This study examined whether early adolescents give differently towards various targets, whether gifted early adolescents show more prosocial behaviour than non-gifted early adolescents and whether gifted early adolescents show more prosocial behaviour towards their friends than anonymous people. 117 early adolescents between 9 and 12 years old participated in this study where they participated in a game called the Prosocial Donation Task. In this game, they had to divide 10 coins between themselves and a target (a friend, someone they do not like, an anonymous person, their father and their mother). The results show a significant difference in early adolescents’ giving behaviour, meaning that early adolescents give differently towards varying targets. However, the study found no significant indication that gifted early adolescents give differently than non-gifted early adolescents. Moreover, the study found no significant evidence that gifted early adolescents give differently towards their friend than an anonymous person.Show less
