Psychometric properties of the emotional self-efficacy and prosocial behavior scales among Nigerian youths: a cross-cultural validation study

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Emotional Self-Efficacy and Prosocial Behavior scales, originally developed in Italy, among Nigerian youths residing in urban and semi-urban contexts. A total of 108 participants completed measures assessing empathic ability, problem-solving, and interpersonal communication, alongside the Prosocial Tendencies Measure, which captures helping behaviors across anonymous, public, and emotionally salient situations. The findings demonstrated acceptable internal consistency across all scales, indicating satisfactory reliability within this cultural context. Descriptive analyses showed generally low levels of empathic and problem-solving selfefficacy, while interpersonal communication self-efficacy ranged from low to high. Correlational analyses revealed that empathic, problem-solving, and interpersonal communication self-efficacy were positively associated with prosocial behaviors, particularly in emotionally demanding contexts. Additionally, empathic and problemsolving self-efficacy were positively related to public prosocial actions. Overall, the findings provide preliminary evidence supporting the cross-cultural applicability of these instruments among Nigerian youths and highlight culturally relevant patterns in selfefficacy and prosocial functioning. The study contributes to the limited literature on psychological resources and prosocial development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Future research should employ larger and more diverse samples and explore the roles of resilience, personality traits, and value orientations in shaping prosocial behavior.