Parent–child cohesion, loneliness, and prosocial behavior: Longitudinal relations in children

This study examined the longitudinal relations among parent–child cohesion (i.e., father–child and mother–child cohesion), loneliness, and prosocial behavior (PB) in children, using a four-wave longitudinal design with 6-month intervals. A total of 678 elementary school students from Grades 4–5 in China ( M age = 10.11 years, 45.6% girls) completed a multi-measure questionnaire, including parent–child cohesion, loneliness, and PB. The results revealed (a) both father–child cohesion and mother–child cohesion predicted children’s PB, and vice versa; (b) both father–child cohesion and mother–child cohesion predicted children’s loneliness and vice versa; (c) loneliness predicted children’s PB and vice versa; and (d) father–child cohesion and mother–child cohesion indirectly predicted children’s PB via children’s loneliness and vice versa. Thus, parent–child cohesion, loneliness, and PB form a complex, dynamic system, suggesting the need for family-based interventions to promote PB in children.