ABSTRACT
There is a long-standing belief held by many parents, educators, and professionals that children are primarily egoistic and selfish. According to some scholars, children are necessarily motivated to focus on meeting their own needs, and these desires often lead to selfish actions. Although there is ample evidence of the selfish tendencies of children, other scholars point to the substantial evidence that children often express care-based, prosocial behaviors (actions intended to benefit others; Eisenberg & Fabes, 1998). To what extent is there evidence for the existence of care-based, prosocial behaviors in children? How do those behaviors emerge and change over time?
