Early Life Experiences and Adult Orientation to Promote Good in 22 Countries

Prior research suggests associations between character involving an orientation to promote good (i.e., a disposition to take actions that contribute to the good of oneself and others) and improved well-being outcomes. However, less is known about childhood factors that may lead to a greater disposition to promote good. This study used data from 202,898 adults in 22 countries to evaluate childhood antecedents of an orientation to promote good. We examined the associations between retrospectively reported childhood experiences and adult disposition to promote good in each country individually, and cross-nationally by meta-analytically pooling results across countries. The pooled results suggest that childhood experiences including having positive relationships with parents, higher subjective financial status, better childhood self-rated health, frequent religious service attendance, an earlier year of birth, and being female were associated with a greater orientation to promote good in adulthood. Conversely, the childhood experiences of abuse and feeling like an outsider in the family were associated with lower levels of promoting good. In country-specific analyses, the direction and strength of these associations differed by country, indicating diverse societal influences. This study provides a valuable foundation for future investigations into the influence of childhood experiences on character across cultures and national contexts.