Family Dynamics and Pro-Social Competence of College Students in Osun State, Nigeria

Pro-social competence encompasses various skills including helping others, cooperation, solidarity, tolerance and so on, which are essential for individuals, particularly college students to function effectively in the society. However, it has been observed that many college students struggle to manage their emotions, have low self-esteem and have difficulty in maintaining healthy relationship with their peers and other people in the society. All these issues can be said to be an influence of the different families they came out from. Despite the importance of pro-social competence among college students, there is limited research about the specific factors that influences its development among college students. Therefore, the study investigates the relationship between family dynamics and pro-social competence of college students in Osun State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design of correlational type was adopted, with 400 college students selected using simple random sampling technique. Descriptive statistical analysis of frequencies and percentages were used to identify the levels of pro-social competence of college students. Additionally, inferential statistics of regression analysis (simple linear regression) was used to examine the relationship between family dynamics (socio-economic status, parenting styles and family structure) and pro-social competence of college students. The results showed that the level of pro-social competence among college students was high at 42.3%. The results further showed that there was no significant relationship between family dynamics (socio-economic status, parenting styles and family structure) and pro-social competence of college students in Osun State, Nigeria (R = 0.085; p>0.05). Based on the findings, the study concluded that family dynamics (socio-economic status, parenting styles and family structure) could not determine the pro-social competence of college students in Osun State, Nigeria.