Sociability and assertiveness are associated with prosocial behaviors. In a cross-sectional study of 90 eighth-graders, adolescents who were sociable and assertive were more likely than their peers to perform prosocial acts that involved social initiative and direct interaction with others (Hampson, 1984). In a cross-sectional study of helping behaviors, Midlarsky and Hannah (1985) collected data on 256 youth from first, fourth, seventh, and tenth grade. Their findings suggest that assertiveness may be a necessary quality for children and adolescents to spontaneously approach people who need help.