Abstract
Are we born to be inherently prosocial? More boldly stated, are we born to be inherently good? Recent studies of infants have revealed the possible presence of prosociality in early life. However, discussions about prosociality itself in the literature on developmental science have been limited. To address such a gap in the literature, this paper sought to illuminate the nature and transformation of prosociality, based on empirical and developmental research. Accordingly, it included a discussion about how people may form and maintain prosociality in our society, with reference to theories of evolutionary biology. This was followed by a review of empirical evidence on prosociality from infancy to preschool age, which provided evidence of the inherent nature of prosociality and its gradual transformation with age. Further, the transformation of prosociality was described in consideration of factors that affect its development. Finally, this paper provided tentative suggestions for future research that would clarify the mechanisms of the emergence of prosociality and its gradual transformation with age.
