Moral identity and prosocial behavior in Chinese adolescents: Mindfulness and empathy as mediators

This study explored the relationship between moral identity and prosocial behavior in 812 Chinese adolescents aged 14–18 years, testing mindfulness and empathy as mediators. Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping analyses with 5,000 resamples showed that moral identity positively predicted prosocial behavior. Further, empathy and mindfulness mediated this relationship, both independently and through the chain mediation pathway of moral identity → mindfulness → empathy → prosocial behavior. These findings highlight the existence of a cognitive–emotional mechanism, emphasizing the core role of empathy, and support integrating mindfulness and empathy training into moral education.