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Pandemic-Induced Economic Stress in an Otherwise-Privileged Sample Predicts Parents' Socialization of Child Prosociality and Parent Coping

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Title: Pandemic-Induced Economic Stress in an Otherwise-Privileged Sample Predicts Parents' Socialization of Child Prosociality and Parent Coping
Language: English
Authors: Lindsey C. Partington (ORCID 0000-0002-5107-577X), Meital Mashash, Paul D. Hastings (ORCID 0000-0003-2978-7364)
Source: International Journal of Behavioral Development. 2025 49(4):323-337.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) (DHHS/NIH)
Contract Number: T32AT003997
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: COVID-19, Pandemics, Stress Variables, Prosocial Behavior, Parent Influence, Socialization, Coping, Socioeconomic Status, Financial Problems, Employment Level, Stress Management, Children, Adolescents, Individual Characteristics, Helping Relationship
DOI: 10.1177/01650254241293996
ISSN: 0165-0254
1464-0651
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic and associated "lockdown" measures spurred adverse employment changes and economic insecurity in U.S. families. Paradoxically, there was a surge in prosocial behavior. Chronically lower socioeconomic status has been associated with adults' greater prosociality, a counterintuitive phenomenon attributed to heightened sensitivity to others' needs. It is unclear whether experiencing an acute financial stressor--like the pandemic--would similarly promote prosociality. Following the "tend-and-befriend" theory, pandemic-induced financial stress may have motivated parents to engage their children in prosocial behaviors as a means of coping with the pandemic. Thus, we examined the associations of both pandemic-induced employment and economic stress with parents engaging their children in helping activities during shelter-in-place and whether this supported parents' coping. A total of 492 parents (443 women; 72% White; income-per-capita range: $833-$87,500) with children ages 2-18 years completed an online survey during May-June 2020, assessing negative employment changes, pandemic-induced economic stress, families' engagement in helping activities, and parent's coping. Controlling for demographics and pre-pandemic income, our indirect effects model found that more negative employment changes predicted greater economic stress, which in turn predicted more helping activities with children. Parents who reported more helping activities also had better coping skills. Our findings demonstrate that acute financial stress directly resulting from COVID-19 spurred parents to engage their children in other-oriented, prosocial acts, perhaps as a means of enhancing social support with others experiencing pandemic stress. Moreover, helping others bolstered parents' overall coping, revealing avenues for promoting well-being during a health crisis.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1479303
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Pandemic-Induced Economic Stress in an Otherwise-Privileged Sample Predicts Parents' Socialization of Child Prosociality and Parent Coping
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lindsey+C%2E+Partington%22">Lindsey C. Partington</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5107-577X">0000-0002-5107-577X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Meital+Mashash%22">Meital Mashash</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Paul+D%2E+Hastings%22">Paul D. Hastings</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2978-7364">0000-0003-2978-7364</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22International+Journal+of+Behavioral+Development%22"><i>International Journal of Behavioral Development</i></searchLink>. 2025 49(4):323-337.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: 15
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Stress+Variables%22">Stress Variables</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prosocial+Behavior%22">Prosocial Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Influence%22">Parent Influence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Socialization%22">Socialization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Coping%22">Coping</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Socioeconomic+Status%22">Socioeconomic Status</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Financial+Problems%22">Financial Problems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employment+Level%22">Employment Level</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Stress+Management%22">Stress Management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children%22">Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adolescents%22">Adolescents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Individual+Characteristics%22">Individual Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Helping+Relationship%22">Helping Relationship</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1177/01650254241293996
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  Data: 0165-0254<br />1464-0651
– Name: Abstract
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  Data: The COVID-19 pandemic and associated "lockdown" measures spurred adverse employment changes and economic insecurity in U.S. families. Paradoxically, there was a surge in prosocial behavior. Chronically lower socioeconomic status has been associated with adults' greater prosociality, a counterintuitive phenomenon attributed to heightened sensitivity to others' needs. It is unclear whether experiencing an acute financial stressor--like the pandemic--would similarly promote prosociality. Following the "tend-and-befriend" theory, pandemic-induced financial stress may have motivated parents to engage their children in prosocial behaviors as a means of coping with the pandemic. Thus, we examined the associations of both pandemic-induced employment and economic stress with parents engaging their children in helping activities during shelter-in-place and whether this supported parents' coping. A total of 492 parents (443 women; 72% White; income-per-capita range: $833-$87,500) with children ages 2-18 years completed an online survey during May-June 2020, assessing negative employment changes, pandemic-induced economic stress, families' engagement in helping activities, and parent's coping. Controlling for demographics and pre-pandemic income, our indirect effects model found that more negative employment changes predicted greater economic stress, which in turn predicted more helping activities with children. Parents who reported more helping activities also had better coping skills. Our findings demonstrate that acute financial stress directly resulting from COVID-19 spurred parents to engage their children in other-oriented, prosocial acts, perhaps as a means of enhancing social support with others experiencing pandemic stress. Moreover, helping others bolstered parents' overall coping, revealing avenues for promoting well-being during a health crisis.
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        Value: 10.1177/01650254241293996
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      – Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 15
        StartPage: 323
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
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      – SubjectFull: Stress Variables
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      – SubjectFull: Prosocial Behavior
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      – SubjectFull: Parent Influence
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      – SubjectFull: Financial Problems
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      – SubjectFull: Employment Level
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      – SubjectFull: Children
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      – SubjectFull: Adolescents
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      – SubjectFull: Individual Characteristics
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      – SubjectFull: Helping Relationship
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      – TitleFull: Pandemic-Induced Economic Stress in an Otherwise-Privileged Sample Predicts Parents' Socialization of Child Prosociality and Parent Coping
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