When family and school interact: response surface analysis reveals independent, compensatory and motivational pathways to children and adolescents’ prosociality in China

Objective: This research examined the joint effects of family support and teacher–student relationships on prosocial behaviour in children and adolescents, guided by ecological and self-determination theories. Method: Across two studies conducted in China, we utilised response surface analysis (RSA) to identify contextual patterns and motivational mechanisms. Study 1 (N = 10,279; M_age = 13.58) was an exploratory pilot using a large-scale survey. Study 2 (N = 547; M_age = 10.98) employed a longitudinal design and well-validated measures to provide a conceptual replication and test the underlying theoretical mechanism. Results: Study 1 identified both independent and compensatory effects of family and school predictors. Study 2 confirmed these independent effects and further revealed that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs mediated the contributions of family and school contexts to prosocial behaviour. Conclusions: Findings demonstrate the value of RSA for modelling joint contextual influences and highlight satisfaction of basic psychological needs as a key mechanism in fostering prosocial development. The results emphasise the importance of integrated support from both family and school environments for Chinese children and adolescents.