Emotional Intelligence, Moral Development and Prosocial Behavior Among Adolescent Living With and Without Paternal Presence

The purpose of the current investigation is to determine the relationship between emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior moral development among adolescents living with and without paternal presence. The study also focused to access the differences among demographic variables. After detailed literature review, hypotheses were framed for the present study. The total sample comprised of 154 Adolescent of 12 to 18 years (Male = 65, Female = 89). Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) (Wong & law, 2002), Prosocial Tendencies Measure (PTM) (Carlo & Rondall, 2002) and Moral Development Interview Inventory (MDII) (Khanam, 2008) were used in current study to measure Emotional intelligence, Prosocial behavior and Moral development. Statistical analysis revealed significant and positive correlation among the study variable. To interpret the results of the research, Pearson-r Correlation, t-Test, One-way ANOVA, and Chi square were used. IBM SPSS Statistics V22.0 was used for statistical analysis. Significant relationship was found among adolescents living with and without father on the variable of moral development. However, no significant difference was found on emotional intelligence and prosocial behavior. Similarly, significant different was found of demographic variables i.e; age, family status and gender on variables of emotional intelligence, moral development and prosocial behavior. Moreover, it was found that Father presence and absence had significant effect on the stages of moral developmental. Limitation and suggestions are also discussed for future research and implication of the study is provided. With the help of the results of present study apposite measures can be adapted for support and guidance of parents in our society, which can help in upbringing of a child in a healthy way.

Empathy and prosocial responding have been found to provide many positive social, psychological and personal benefits in international research. Healthy social and emotional functioning is said to rely heavily on empathy and prosocial responding, according to various studies (Silke et al., 2018). The moral principles associated with empathy and prosocial responding, such as respect, compassion, fairness, caring, perspective-taking, and avoidance of harm, are thought to be key in the development of social connectedness and civic society enrichment. During adolescence, the development and display of empathy and prosocial responding are critical in promoting positive social interactions, increasing social understanding, and encouraging cooperative, sharing, and helping behaviors among all members of society. It is widely agreed that society should encourage a greater sense of empathy and other-focused behavior among young people, not only to realize their full potential but also to enhance social well-being. Researchers suggest that for democracy to thrive, young people must develop values that motivate them to engage in socially responsible behavior and actively participate in civic and social life (Silke et al., 2018).

Prosocial Behavior (PsB) is characterized as behavior coordinated toward advancing the well-being of another (Gupta & Thapliyal, 2015). Behavior for instance caring, facilitating, sharing and offering is enveloped beneath the category of prosocial behavior (Eisenberg et al., 2015). Prosocial behaviors are a typical and vital portion of living in society, and of social improvement, and advancing prosocial behavior in all its shapes is clearly alluring (Rogoff, 2003). Prosocial behavior in childhood regularly starts with questions of sharing and decency (Gupta & Thapliyal, 2015). Agreeing to Hay and Cook (2007), Prosocial acts develop early in life, before long after babies learn to creep, and increment in complexity over the life expectancy, with the rise of incomprehensibly prosocial acts for instance prosocial deceitful in middle childhood, and deeds of enduring obligation in adolescence and adulthood (Hammond & Brownell, 2015).

Prosocial behavior is basic for developing trust and participation fundamental to maintain generic and complex social orders and markets (Klein, 2016). Aiding other people results in enhancing the self-worth because prosocial behaviors are appreciated and cherished in the world (Klein et al., 2015). Agreeing to such point of view, the increment of self-concept is considered as most remunerated that a person gets for assisting others (Gupta & Thapliyal, 2015). Prosocial behavior empowers social connections and lessens undesirable behavior whereas empowering well-being and social alteration, which in turn lead to positive improvement (Malonda et al., 2019).

The development of adolescents' prosocial behavior is influenced by both personal characteristics and the social context in which they live. The family's early socialization experiences play a crucial role in shaping children's prosocial behavior, according to research by Hastings et al. (2015) and Batool and Lewis (2020). Children tend to model their behavior on their parents, who can set a positive example by being supportive and showing interest in their children's needs. Parental responsiveness is also linked to the development of empathy and perspective-taking in children, traits that are associated with prosocial and moral development. Furthermore, parental sensitivity has long-lasting positive effects on adolescents' prosocial competence and moral reasoning (Batool & Lewis, 2020).

Parents play an important role in fostering the prosocial development of their children and teens by utilizing specific socialization practices such as being democratic, authoritative, and responsive. These practices have been found to be associated with moral and prosocial development (Barber et al., 2005). Prosocial development in children is influenced by factors such as parent modeling, parental training, and warmth. Inductive reasoning, focusing on the needs of others, and using other-oriented reasoning are some of the ways that parents try to socialize their children to behave in prosocial ways. Additionally, parents discourage the use of firm control, punitive techniques, and negative interactions with their children to promote prosocial development (Batool & Lewis, 2020).

Research indicates that parenting practices are linked to children's emotional intelligence (EI), specifically in three areas: emotion knowledge, emotion understanding, and emotion regulation. Early adolescents with parents who exhibit warmth have been found to have higher levels of EI, emotion knowledge, emotion understanding, and emotion regulation. In Malaysian secondary school students, there is a positive correlation between parental positive monitoring and emotional intelligence (Batool & Lewis, 2020). Al-Elaimat et al. (2018) discovered that a democratic parenting style is positively related to EI in all its dimensions in kindergarten children in Jordan. Children develop higher emotional competence when parents are emotionally expressive and responsive, encourage them to discuss emotional events, and express their own emotions. On the other hand, children's knowledge of their emotions was found to be negatively correlated with parental emotion-dismissing practices such as minimization, corrective, and anguish parental reactions to children's display of negative emotions (Batool & Lewis, 2020).

Adams et al. (1982) found that sympathetic parenting was connected with higher levels of empathy, although the results were significant only for male adolescents, not for females. Miklikowska et al. (2011) observed different impacts for maternal and paternal support on empathic reactions, with paternal support being connected with increased cognitive empathy, while maternal support was linked to greater affective empathy, but only in girls. Carlo et al. (2017) demonstrated that parents' discursive communication and responsiveness were positively associated with compliant prosocial behavior, but not significantly linked with adolescents' empathic, dire, anonymous, emotional, or public behavior, while responsiveness was negatively linked with altruism. Studies have revealed significant relationships between parental monitoring and control and adolescent empathy and prosocial behavior. Research has tended to suggest that higher levels of parental income and/or education are related to higher prosocial behavior. Call et al. (1995) suggested that lower family income was linked with lower levels of home helping behaviors but higher levels of work prosocial helping, while Davis et al. (2018) indicated that greater socio-economic disadvantage was associated with higher altruistic behavior but lower public-prosocial behaviors. Moreover, Silke et al. (2018) discovered a significant association between parents' socio-economic status and adolescents' empathic reactions.

Factors related to parents, including their emotional reactivity, mental health, and family history, have an impact on the parenting practices, emotional atmosphere within the family, and child characteristics. These factors include parents' beliefs about emotions, their relationship with their own parents, attachment status, and their ability to regulate their own emotions, which can affect how they interact with their children and other family members. The children's own temperament and emotional regulation, to some extent, are influenced by inherited traits from parents. The child's characteristics, such as their tendency to experience negative emotions, can moderate the relationship between family context variables and emotional regulation. Children who are highly reactive to emotions are at a greater risk of developing emotional regulation difficulties when living in a negative family environment. The child's developmental stage also impacts how family factors affect emotional regulation. For instance, a young child is more reliant on parents to help with emotional regulation, while an adolescent may turn to peers for support (Morris et al., 2007).

Children learn prosocial behavior through various means, including operant conditioning, observation, imitation, and modeling. The father plays a crucial role in this process, as he is a daily presence in the child's life and serves as a model for behavior. Whether a child is watching his father interact with others or solve a problem, the father's actions serve as an example for the child to follow. Ultimately, the father's role remains consistent throughout these activities - he is a model of behavior for the child (Pérez-Fuentes et al., 2019).

Although most research has concentrated on the bond between a child and their mother, there is an increasing amount of research on the connection between a child and their father. These studies demonstrate what fathers have always known - that the relationship between a father and child is just as important as the relationship between a mother and child. Like a mother, a father has an impact on a child's development. A father's sensitivity and responsiveness is a reliable indicator of a secure attachment between father and child (Sulejmanovic, 2016). A father, who is often overlooked but is a crucial figure in the psychological development of any future man, provides a model based on his behavior that a child learns from to gain their father's respect and develop values instilled by their father. Being a role model is neither a simple nor an easy task. The way in which a father interacts with others is a pattern that a child will emulate in their interpersonal relationships - with their partner, friends, at school, and at work (Sulejmanovic, 2016).

A father and child relationship might be an interesting bond and connection (Mackey, 2001) that can be one of the first basic and enticing associations in a child’s life. This exceptional relationship can shape childhood headway, affect values and a pointer of both negative as well as positive mental well-being (Rohner & Veneziano, 2001). Father’s contribution in the form of passionate sustenance, compassion, observation, and teaching will result in more constructive child (Amato, 1998). The paternal–child relationship can deliver children besides with a male model illustrating and contributing to their money related as well as bodily consolation (Flouri & Buchanan, 2003). The effect of father on child conceivably offers strong mental enhancement, self-concept progression of person’s values through childhood, youth and adulthood and may be a defensive calculate against the improvement of negative self-concept and maladaptive behaviors (East et. al., 2006). Insofar as the father-child relationship is critical for children’s advancement, fathers’ separation speaks to a noteworthy misfortune for children (Carlson, 2006).

Fathers play an important role in teaching children how to establish positive social connections and develop their own attitudes and values. They also provide protection and prioritize the needs of those they care for. The relationship between fathers and their children varies across different societies, highlighting the complexity of studying these pairs. The amount of time a child spends with their father and the level of care provided by the father are strong indicators of the child's future empathy, compassion, and concern for others. The role of a father in a child's development is unique and cannot be replaced, particularly when it comes to emotional intelligence, self-esteem, and self-confidence (Sulejmanovic, 2016).

Rationale

As Pakistan’s culture is evolving day by day, the trends of traditional family system are about to extinct and nuclear family system is being promoted these days which has its own unique influence on the child’s upbringing environment. Due to increase in job trend, parents, especially father figure, has to even move to another place in search of a job leaving behind the family at home. As a result, child at times has to live and grow in absence of father, which may affect the child’s development as it is not only mother who is responsible and important for child’s development. Similarly, morality is an aspect which is neglected most in Pakistani society and parents sometimes are not aware that their actions are leading to moral collapse of child. This study aims to explore the factors that effects the child’s growth in the absence of a biological father in the light of moral development, emotional intelligence and prosocial behavior among adolescents. In the context of Pakistan’s culture, it would be very interesting to explore prevalence of Erickson’s psychosocial theory. Very little work has been done on the area of father absence in the family, so it would be very informative to explore and compare the relationship between variables among children living with and without father.

Method

Objectives

• The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence, moral development, and prosocial behavior of adolescents living with and without a father.
• The study aimed to explore the differences in study variables based on demographic variables i.e. age, gender, socioeconomic status, and family system.

Hypotheses

• Age and emotional intelligence will be positively related to prosocial behavior and moral development.
• Adolescents living with their fathers will exhibit higher levels of emotional intelligence, and moral development and those living without their fathers will exhibit higher prosocial behavior.
• Males exhibit higher levels of emotional intelligence and prosocial behavior, and females exhibit higher moral development.
• Upto-matric-educated adolescents will demonstrate higher emotional intelligence and intermediated individuals will demonstrate higher prosocial behavior and moral development.
• Individuals from nuclear families have higher levels of emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior, and moral development than those who belong to a joint family system.
• Female adolescents will demonstrate higher stages of moral development compared to male adolescents.
• Adolescents living with father will score higher on moral development in comparison to those living without father.

Research Design

A correlational research design was used in the present study.

Sample

The research study used a descriptive correlational design and involved a sample of 170 adolescents who were chosen through purposive sampling technique. The eligible participants were male and female adolescents aged between 12 to 18 years, living in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. G-Power 3.1.9 software was used to conduct power calculations with F-test family, which indicated that a minimum of 128 sample size was required to demonstrate a moderate effect size (.30) at 90 percent power and an alpha equal to .05.

Out of 170 participants, 154 (90.5% response rate) completed and submitted the online survey. The data from Google Forms were securely exported and saved in password-protected computers without any identifying participant information.

Approaching sample

After obtaining approval from the departmental ethical board's Institutional Review Board (IRB), we approached seven private schools (five in Rawalpindi and two in Islamabad) to recruit eligible participants for our study. We chose these specific private schools because they were owned by a charitable foundation and had a diverse group of enrolled students that were suitable for data collection purposes. We provided the school authorities with information about our study and asked for their help in identifying eligible students. We then contacted the parents/guardians of these eligible students to request their permission for their child to participate in our research study. We also provided them with information about the nature and purpose of the study.

To collect the data during the COVID-19 pandemic, we shared an online Google form with willing participants. The online form included an informed consent form, an assent form, and structured questionnaires such as the Prosocial Tendencies Measure, Moral Development Interview Inventory, and Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale. Only those who agreed to participate and provided written informed consent/assent were allowed to access the study questionnaires. We instructed each participant to complete the entire form, leaving no questions unanswered. On average, each participant took about 45 minutes to complete the online survey.

Exclusion criteria

Adolescents living in hostels or living away from family due to any reason.

Instruments

Informed consent

The authors of the emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior, and moral development assessment tools were asked for permission to use them in this study, as per the ethical requirements of APA manuals. Participants were assured that their responses would be kept confidential, and their personal details would be omitted to ensure privacy. A demographic sheet was used to collect information such as age, gender, qualification, job status, family setup, father's status, and socio-economic status.

Prosocial Tendencies Measure

Prosocial Tendencies Measure developed by Carlo and Rondall (2002) is a self-reported questionnaire used to measure prosocial behavior of an individual. It consists of 23 items which are scored against 5 points Likert scale and assesses 6 types of prosocial behaviors: altruistic, compliant, emotional, dire, public, and anonymous. Its reliability is .80 which is good.

Moral Development Interview Inventory

Is used to measure the moral development of adolescents. The MDII consisted of 10 moral dilemmas and maximum sixty score. Each dilemma has a maximum of six marks as per six moral development stages described by Kohlberg. The adolescents read the stories and wrote their answers according to their reasoning ability. Each statement is assigned a number (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) declaring the moral stage of the respondent for a specific dilemma. The composite score of an individual, ascertained based on a set of prescribed criteria, spans the range from zero to sixty. To determine the stage of moral development of the participant, the composite score is divided by ten. For instance, a score of twenty corresponds to the second stage of moral development. It has concurrent validity and reliability of .90, which is excellent.

Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale

Emotional Intelligence Scale developed by Wong and Law (WLEIS, Wong & Law, 2002) is a well-known self-report measure of EI. The WLEIS is based on Davies et al.’s (1998) four-dimensional definition of emotional intelligence. It comprised of 16 items and is measured with a 5-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 (totally disagree) to 5 (totally agree). Its reliability is .85 which is good.

Procedure

After getting approval from Departmental Ethical Board, Institutional Review Board (IRB) and permissions from respected authors of instruments; the data was collected through online survey form keeping in mind the ethical considerations and COVID 19 pandemic. Informed Consent form was distributed along with other instruments and the data was collected from those individuals who were willing to participate in the study. Through this form the researcher introduced topic and purpose of study to the participants. While completing the online forms, participants were instructed to give honest and genuine answers.

Ethical considerations

• To prevent any unethical disaster for the participants, this research took into account any ethical difficulties that can arise during the study. Participants were made aware of their right to voluntarily participate in research or to refuse to do so.
• Each participant completed the demographic sheet and signed the informed consent form.
• Participants were made aware of the importance of their participation, the confidentiality of their data, the fact that their participation would not cause them any bodily or psychological harm, and the fact that their data would only be used for research.
• Privacy and confidentiality were upheld throughout the whole research process.

 Statistical Analysis

To compile and conclude the research results in quantitative terminology statistical analysis was applied using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, V-22.0). The scores on each individual research scales were entered on SPSS sheets. Independent sample t-test, Correlation, analysis of covariance (ANOVA), Post Hoc analysis and chi square were done to analyze and interpret research data into statistical terminology.

Results 

This study aimed to investigate the relationship of emotional intelligence, moral development and prosocial behavior among adolescents living with and without paternal presence. Descriptive statistics, Psychometric properties, Correlation, Independent sample t-test, One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Chi square and Post hoc analysis were done to analyze and interpret research findings. The characteristics of the sample being studied are given below (see Table 1). Then at first descriptive analysis was done to find the psychometric properties of the measures used in this study (see Table 2).

Table 1: Sample Characteristics (N = 154)

Note. M = Mean; SD = Standard Deviation; n = Number; and % = percentage.

Table 2: Psychometric Properties of Scales (N = 154)

WLEIS stands for Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, PTM stands for Prosocial Tendencies Measure and MDII stands for Moral Development Interview Inventory.

As evident from the Table 2, all the coefficients were deemed acceptable, since they have exceeded the cutoff value of .70 as recommended by George and Mallery (2003). Cronbach’s alpha was excellent for Moral Development Interview Inventory and good for Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, Prosocial Tendencies Measure and its subscales Public and Anonymous. Similarly, the reliability coefficients of remaining subscales of PTM were also found above .70 indicating that al the measures were dependable and reliable instruments of the said variables. According to the values of skewness and kurtosis, which ranged from -1.54 and -.78 to 1.03 and 1.74, respectively, the data was regularly distributed and appropriate for additional parametric testing.

Table 3: Bivariate Correlation Among, Emotional Intelligence, Moral Development and Prosocial Tendencies (N = 154)

p < .05, **p < .01.
Note. PsB = Prosocial Behavior; MD = Moral Development and EI = Emotional Intelligence.

Table 3 presents a detailed analysis of the correlation between Age, Emotional Intelligence (EI), Machiavellianism (MD), and Prosocial Behavior (PsB), including subscales. The results indicate that Age has a positive correlation with EI (r = .201) and MDII (r = .803), while showing a negative correlation with Public (r = -1.70) and Altruism (r = -.176). Furthermore, the study found that EI (M = 85.57, SD = 13.63) had a significant positive correlation with PsB (M = 72.01, SD = 12.81) with an r(154) = .289, p < 0.01, MD (M = 42.21, SD = 10.32) with an r(154) = .193, p < 0.05, as well as the subscales of Prosocial Tendencies Measure. Emotional (M = 14.70, SD = 3.16) had a significant positive correlation with an r(154) = .23, p < 0.01, Dire (M = 11.10, SD = 2.13) with an r(154) = .34, p < 0.01, Anonymous (M = 18.90, SD = 2.13) with an r(154) = .32, p = < 0.01, and Compliant (M = 7.76, SD = 1.72) with an r(154) = .27, p < 0.01. However, Public (M = 8.00, SD = 3.91) with an r(154) = .05, p > 0.05, and Altruism (M = 11.56, SD = 4.78) with an r(154) = .04, p > 0.05 were not found to be significantly associated with Emotional Intelligence.

Similarly, PsB (M = 72.01, SD = 12.81) was not significantly associated and negatively correlated with MD (M = 42.21, SD = 10.32) with an r(154) = -.13, p > 0.05. The subscale Public (M = 8.00, SD = 3.91) had a significant negative correlation with MD (M = 42.21, SD = 10.32) with an r(154) = -.16, p < 0.05. Subscale Emotional (M = 14.70, SD = 3.16) was statistically non-significant and positively correlated with MD (M = 42.21, SD = 10.32) with an r(154) = .005, p > 0.05. Subscale Dire (M = 11.10, SD = 2.13) was statistically non-significant and negatively correlated with MD
(M = 42.21, SD = 10.32) with an r(154) = -.07, p > 0.05. Finally, Subscale Compliant (M = 7.76, SD = 1.72) was statistically non-significant and positively correlated with MD (M = 42.21, SD = 10.32) with an r(154) = .01, p > .05.

Table 4: Mean Differences in Emotional Intelligence, Prosocial Behavior and Moral Development Among Adolescents Living With and Without Father
(N = 154)

Note. EI stands for Emotional Intelligence, PSB stands for Prosocial Behavior and MD stands for Moral Development.

Independent sample t-test was performed to find the association between adolescents living with and without father and emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior and moral development. The results indicated that adolescents living with father have slightly higher emotional intelligence and moral development (M = 86.15, SD = 11.25, M = 4.60, SD = .90) as compared to those living without father (M = 84.67, SD = 16.75, M = 3.64, SD = .94). On the other hand, prosocial behavior of adolescents living without father was found slightly more (M = 73.45, SD = 13.56) than those of living with the father (M = 71.10, SD = 12.30). However, the results of emotional intelligence scale were not statistically significant (p value = .51).

Table 5: Mean Differences in Gender Among Emotional Intelligence, Prosocial Behavior and Moral Development (N = 154)

Note. EI stands for Emotional Intelligence, PSB stands for Prosocial Behavior and MD stands for Moral Development.

Independent sample t-test was performed to find the association between gender and emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior and moral development. The results indicate that males have slightly higher emotional intelligence and prosocial behavior (M = 86.13,
SD = 13.94, M = 72.29, SD = 15.18) as compared to females (M = 85.16, SD = 15.18, M = 71.80, SD = 10.84). On the other hand, moral development of females was found slightly more (M = 4.13, SD = 1.09) than those of male (M = 4.30, SD = 0.97) and statistically significant.

Table 6: Mean Differences in Education Among Emotional Intelligence, Prosocial Behavior and Moral Development (N =154)

Note. EI stands for Emotional Intelligence, PSB stands for Prosocial Behavior and MD stands for Moral Development.

Independent sample t-test was performed to find the association between education and emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior and moral development. The results indicate that those having education till intermediate have slightly higher prosocial behavior and moral development (M = 72.62, SD = 12.87, M = 4.24, SD = 1.00) as compared to those having education till matric (M = 70.74, SD = 12.70, M = 4.18, SD = 1.08). On the other hand, emotional intelligence of those having education till matric was found slightly more (M = 86.40, SD = 13.31) than those of male (M = 85.17,SD = 13.81). However, the results of prosocial behavior scale and moral development was not statistically significant (p value = .18, .05) respectively.

Table 7: Mean Differences in Nuclear and Joint Family System Among Emotional Intelligence, Prosocial Behavior and Moral Development (N =154)

Note. EI stands for Emotional Intelligence, PSB stands for Prosocial Behavior and MD stands for Moral Development.

Independent sample t-test was performed to find the association between family system and emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior and moral development. The results indicate that adolescents living in nuclear families have slightly higher emotional intelligence and prosocial behavior (M = 85.77, SD = 12.17, M = 72.23, SD = 11.85) as compared to adolescents living in joint families (M = 85.09, SD = 26.76, M = 71.49, SD = 15.01). On the other hand, moral development of adolescents living in joint families was slightly more (M = 4.49, SD = 1.02) than those of living in nuclear families
(M = 4.12, SD = 01.01). However, the results of emotional intelligence scale and prosocial behavior scale was not statistically significant (p value = .16, .11) respectively.

Table 8: Cross-tabulation of Gender with Moral Development(N =154)

Note. MDII = Moral Development Interview Inventory; n = number of participant.
*p = < .05.

Out of total sample (N = 154), 30.8 % males (n = 20) and 32.6% females (n = 29) were on 5th stage of moral development. 21.5% males (n = 14) were on 2nd stage and 32.6 % females (n = 29) were on 3rd stage of moral development. Chi-square test of association showed that gender was significantly associated with gender.

Table 9: Cross-tabulation of Father Status With Moral Development

*p = < .05.
Note. MDII = Moral Development Interview Inventory.

Out of total sample (N = 154) 85.7% of cases with father present (n = 42) and 14.3% father absent cases (n = 7) were on 5th stage of moral development. 76.7% of cases with father present (n = 33) and 23.3% father absent cases (n = 10) were on 4th stage. 33.3% of cases with father present (n = 13) and 66.7% father absent cases (n = 26) were on 3th stage and 28.6% of cases with father present (n = 6) and 71.4% father absent cases (n =15) were on 2nd stage of moral development. Chi-square test of association showed that gender was significantly associated with Father status.

Discussion

The present research was carried out in order to discover the possible relationship between prosocial behavior, moral development and emotional intelligence among adolescents living with and without father in the family. The objective of this study was to explore the relation between emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior and moral development across age, education, gender, father status, family structure, socio economic status and two quantitative questions.

To measure emotional intelligence, Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (Wong & Law, 2002) was used. The Prosocial Tendencies Measure (Carlo & Rondall, 2002) was used to measure prosocial behavior and Moral Development Interview Inventory (Khanam, 2008) was used to measure the moral development of adolescents. All of these scales have shown strong reliabilities (scale 1 r = .89, scale 2 r = .85, scale 3 r = .90) which was in congruence with the literature (Carlo & Rondall, 2002; Khanam, 2008; Wong & Law, 2002).

Pearson correlation was applied in order to explore the relationship between main variables which include emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior and moral development. Results revealed that emotional intelligence was significantly and positively correlated with prosocial behavior and moral development as in the literature (Irfan & Kausar, 2018). It was hypothesized that emotional intelligence would have a positive relationship with moral development which was supported by the findings and previous studies. According to Platsidou's (2004) findings, teenagers with high emotional intelligence exhibited superior socio-moral judgement than those with ordinary and poor emotional intelligence. Kumari and Khadi (2015) investigated a substantial positive link between emotional intelligence and moral judgement in another study including Indian adolescent participants. Similar findings about the connection between moral judgement and emotional intelligence were made by Fernández-Berroca and Extremera (2006). It was discovered that emotional intelligence plays a major part in moral decision-making and improves one's knowledge of emotions. Such reliable results suggest that the two variables do indeed have a positive association. According to research, people's emotional intelligence levels can be encouraged or raised (Schutte et al., 2013).

Similarly, prosocial behavior was also found to be significantly positive correlated with emotional intelligence which is consistent with the previous studies (Eisenberg, 2000). Age showed significant positive correlation with emotional intelligence and moral development which is consistent to previous studies (Ghasemi et.al., 2018; Khanam, 2008).

It was hypothesized that adolescents living with their fathers will exhibit higher levels of emotional intelligence, and moral development and those living without their fathers will exhibit higher prosocial behavior. To test this hypothesis independent sample t-test was applied and results indicated that adolescents living with father had higher scores on emotional intelligence and moral development as compare to those living without father but the score was significant on moral development only. Whereas, on prosocial behavior adolescents living without father scored high. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that males exhibit higher levels of emotional intelligence and prosocial behavior, and females exhibit higher moral development. These results are aligned with the work of Santrock (2006), who stated that boys living with father had more moral development as compared to living without father. 

With respect to the emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior and moral development, there were no appreciable mean differences between male and female pupils, according to this study. Earlier studies also revealed that emotional intelligence did not significantly differ between men and women (Meshkat & Nejati, 2017). Literature (Bierhoff, 2002; Tsehay et al., 2014) has not revealed any differences in prosocial behaviour levels between males and females based on gender. Nonetheless, a study by Tafetu (2007) revealed that there were gender variations in prosocial conduct, with females scoring higher than males overall. This can be explained by the increased socialization of females to exhibit nurturing and caring behaviours in interpersonal relationships (Tafetu, 2007).

Next, it was hypothesized that upto-matric-educated adolescents will demonstrate higher emotional intelligence and intermediated individuals will demonstrate higher prosocial behavior and moral development. In this regard, results about EI highlighted that educational fulfillment was not a primary factor in shaping emotional recognition and management abilities. After all, it is influenced by a broader range of factors, including personality traits, family environment, and social experiences (Estrada et al., 2021) because EI development occurs in various life contexts (Schutte et al., 2013).

In the current outcomes, PsB showed no significant differences between education groups, these findings indicate that prosocial tendencies were more related to individual characteristics and socialization processes than educational background (Molano, 2013) because PsB was influenced by factors like empathy and moral values, which developed independently of formal education (Espino-Diaz et al., 2021). Then in the context of moral development, differences were also non-significant between education groups because moral reasoning was shaped by family, culture, and personal experiences (Tuncay et al., 2012) rather than formal education alone (Kohlberg, 1976).

The researcher also hypothesized that individuals from nuclear families have higher level of emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior, and moral development than those who belong to joint family system. So, the independent sample t-test analysis between family system and study variables indicated that family system and moral development reflected significant mean differences. Adolescents living in the joint family system scored more than those living in the nuclear family system. This may be possible due to exposure to more elders in the environment. Mumtaz et al. (2023) posit that the emotional and psychological issues that adolescents experience are influenced by their family's emotional supportiveness and potential for emotional abuse. The family environment during adolescence has a significant influence on an adolescent's personality development, negative habits, and socially destructive behaviors. Moreover, experiences during adolescence can have a lasting impact on an individual's emotional, psychological, and personality functioning. The patterns of communication and interaction between parents and adolescents are directly related to an adolescent's social attitudes, pro-social or anti-social tendencies, and emotional handling capabilities. Some researchers suggest that the family structure may strongly affect an adolescent's learning, emotional responsiveness, empathy, and self-control (Irfan & Kausar, 2020).

To test the hypothesis that female adolescents will demonstrate higher stages of moral development compared to male adolescents, where significant gender differences were found in moral development stages, with females more likely to be at higher stages than males. For instance, 32.6% of females were in Stage 5 compared to 30.8% of males. In this regard, Rayan et al. (2004) identified that females often exhibit higher moral reasoning due to socialization processes emphasizing empathy and care. Lastly, the researcher also hypothesized that the presence of a father in an adolescent's life is positively associated with higher stages of moral development, the researcher utilized Chi Square analysis. So, the outcomes reflected the significant mean difference between father status and moral development stages which is consistent with previous studies. Santrock (2006) reported that adolescents living with father showed more morally developed as compare to those living without father. This outcome also supports the theory that paternal presence provides important guidance in moral reasoning and social development (Lamb, 2013)

Conclusion

The correlation between emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior, and moral development was found to be notably positive. Furthermore, there exists a positive and statistically significant correlation between age and emotional intelligence as well as moral development. Adolescents living with fathers had higher emotional intelligence than those living without fathers in the family. Adolescents living with fathers had significantly higher moral development than those living without fathers in the family. Males had slightly higher emotional intelligence and prosocial behavior as compared to females. Adolescents living in the upper class depict more emotional intelligence than those living in the lower and middle class.          

Limitations and for Recommendations Future Research

 An attempt was made to devise a study, and after interpreting the findings, certain limitations were identified that open up new avenues for research and exploration. While the questionnaires used in this research provided valuable insights into the research variables, they were developed using Western samples. In future studies, it may be worthwhile to translate and adapt the scales according to Pakistani culture, which was not undertaken in the current study due to time constraints and the Covid-19 pandemic. To ensure the generalizability of the study's results to the Pakistani population, a large sample could be included.

Researchers interested in this area can explore further the importance and role of fathers in their children's lives. Future studies can be conducted using longitudinal designs. All stakeholders involved with adolescents, such as parents, peers, teachers, neighbors, government and non-government officials, and religious scholars, must seek out different options to enhance the child's development process. Fathers should be encouraged and facilitated to keep their families with them to look after their children's upbringing. Close friends may have a significant impact on adolescents' prosocial behavior and moral development. Parents must guide their children in choosing good peer groups. It is recommended that more research be conducted on this particular concern, especially in Pakistan, to improve a father's role, which is an important aspect of a child's healthy development. Additionally, it is recommended to investigate other important variables, such as siblings, peers, teachers, and community organizations, in association with moral development, emotional intelligence, and prosocial behavior. Other variables that may have an influence on the study variables include one's culture, religion, and media. Further research is needed to explore the association between study variables and parenting styles, parental modeling, parental practices, and peer pressure effects in Pakistan.

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Received 17 March 2023
Revision received 18 April 2024