The role of contextual stressors, such as economic stress, in the development of positive outcomes among adolescents is an important area of inquiry. The current study aimed to examine the links between economic stress and low-income adolescents’ prosocial behaviors (i.e., actions that benefit others) via mothers’ use of material and social rewards. Participants were 311 adolescents (M age = 16.10 years; 58.7% girls) who reported on their own economic stress experiences, mothers’ use of material and social rewards, and their tendency to engage in six forms of prosocial behaviors. The results demonstrated complex links between stressors, parenting practices, and prosocial behaviors depending on adolescent gender. Discussion focuses on the role of contextual and familial factors in shaping low-income adolescents’ sociobehavioral outcomes.
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