Pro-social behavior is an individual's conscious effort to help others in the context of social relations. It is the basis for maintaining good relations between people, which is characterized by benefiting others and even the group as a whole and contributing to the development of society. The emergence of prosocial behavior is closely related to the environment in which the individual finds himself. Studies have found that parent-child relationships influence prosocial behavior in children and adolescents. From the perspective of lifelong development, adults' psychology (e.g., loneliness) and behavior (e.g., pro-social behavior) are also continuously affected by their parent-child relationships, but there is a relative lack of relevant research; the mechanisms that influence adults' pro-social behavior and other possible moderating factors are also issues that need to explore further. In the economically developed central urban areas of China, pet ownership in the family has become a way of life, and pet ownership has become an choice for many people to gain intimacy and avoid loneliness, but few studies have examined the relationship between pet ownership and adult parent-child relationships and social behaviors in China. Therefore, this study attempted to investigate the following questions: (1) Can the intimacy of parentchild relationships have an effect on adult pro-social behavior? (2) Does the parent-child relationship influence pro-social behavior indirectly through loneliness? (3) How about the relationship between high levels of parenting, pet ownership, and individual loneliness?
In this study, adult individuals over 18 years of age were selected to participate in the study using a questionnaire method, and the Parent-Child Relationship Scale, the Pro-Social Behavior Scale, and the Loneliness Scale were administered to both pet-owning and non-pet-owning adult subjects. First, 214 adult individuals were selected to test the applicability of the scales, and then 324 adult individuals (187 pet-owning and 137 non-pet-owning individuals) were collected to administer the scales.
The results of the study showed that (1) Parent-child relationship has a positive predictive effect on individual pro-social behavior. (2) Loneliness partially mediates the relationship between paternity and individual pro-social behavior. (3) The indirect effect of paternity on individual pro-social behavior through loneliness was moderated by pet ownership, and paternity had a higher negative predictive effect on loneliness in individuals who did not own pets compared to those who did.
The present study reveals how paternity factors influence individual prosocial behavior through loneliness and explores the moderating role of pet ownership in this relationship. The results provide new evidence for understanding the effects of family environment variables on mental health and social relationships, as well as a psychological rationale for individual pro-social behavior promotion, and thus the practice of building a harmonious society.
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