ABSTRACT
Prosocial behavior includes a wide variety of actions that are designed to benefit another person. Praise can be used for prosocial behavior under two sets of conditions: when it is employed as reinforcement or reward for prosocial actions and when it is employed to scaffold learning about the importance of caring for others. Praise takes different forms which differ in their effectiveness. Thus, praising children for having a prosocial disposition is more effective than praising them for a particular prosocial action. In contrast to some forms of behavior such as achievement, praise for effort may not always be effective. Praise for prosocial behavior is infrequently used by parents, particularly as children grow older and engage in more prosocial action. Thus, its role in the development of prosocial behavior appears to be modest.
