The Longitudinal Relationship Between Perceived Discrimination and Prosocial Behaviors: The Roles of Self-Esteem and Coping Styles

Although previous studies have established a link between perceived discrimination and negative adolescent outcomes, potential mediating and moderating factors-specifically, the mediating role of self-esteem and the distinct moderating roles of positive and negative coping styles-remain underexplored. This longitudinal study aimed to examine whether adolescents' perceptions of discrimination directed toward themselves or their classmates predict their prosocial behaviors through the mediating role of self-esteem and whether positive and negative coping styles moderate this pathway. A total of 531 junior high school students (M_age = 15.73, SD_age = 0.67, 47.83% males) from Changchun, Jilin Province, China, completed measures of perceived discrimination, self-esteem, prosocial behaviors, and coping styles across three time points. Higher levels of perceived discrimination at T1 were associated with fewer prosocial behaviors at T3, and this relationship was mediated by reduced self-esteem at T2. Moreover, both positive and negative coping styles at T1 served as moderators. Positive coping moderated the negative effects of perceived discrimination on both self-esteem and prosocial behaviors, while negative coping moderated the positive association between self-esteem and prosocial behaviors. These findings underscore the distinct role of perceived discrimination, self-esteem, and coping styles in shaping adolescent prosocial development and offer valuable implications for educational interventions aimed at fostering prosociality.