New Mexico Highlands University

Prosocial behavior is defined as any voluntary action performed with the specific intention of benefiting another person or group. It raises the question of whether such acts are motivated solely by personal benefits, like feeling good, or if other reasons, such as altruism, are at play.

Prosocial Behavior

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

- Instinct and Genes
- Social Exchange
- Empathy and Altruism

Basic Motives Underlying Prosocial Behavior: Theories

- Environment
- Residential Mobility
- Number of Bystanders (Bystander Effect)
- Effects of Media

Situational Determinants of Prosocial Behavior

- Personality
- Gender
- Culture
- Religion
- Mood

Personal Qualities that Influence Prosocial Behavior

Evolutionary psychologists attempted to explain prosocial behavior in three ways: kin selection, the norm of reciprocity, and group selection.

Theory of Prosocial Behavior: Instinct & Genes

Research suggests that high-dose psilocybin can lead to significant and lasting positive changes in interpersonal relationships, gratitude, life's meaning, forgiveness, spiritual experiences, and more. These effects were influenced by intense psilocybin experiences and regular spiritual practices, suggesting the potential for improved social attitudes and psychological well-being.

Prevalent increase in Prosocial behaviors due to psilocybin mystical experiences in combination with meditation 

Allyship refers to an act on behalf of an individual with privilege to work with marginalized communities to help dismantle existing systems that impede communities' fundamental rights, opportunities and access, and potential to flourish in society. 

Allyship

Altruism is a social preference where an individual is willing to bear a cost to benefit someone else. This behavior is exemplified by acts of self-sacrifice, such as individuals risking or giving their lives for others during wars or natural disasters, even when the beneficiaries are complete strangers.

Altruism

An example of helping behavior, an interpersonal topic in social psychology, is a group of people collaborating to push a stalled car up a steep, unpaved road.

Example of Helping Behavior

An example of widespread prosocial behavior can be seen in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this crisis, many individuals, including educators and healthcare workers, made extraordinary efforts to help and support others, illustrating how people can work together for the common good.

Example of Prosocial Behavior: Mutual Aid During the COVID-19 Pandemic

A photograph from the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks shows two individuals covered in dust and debris. One person is actively supporting and helping the other, illustrating an instance of prosocial behavior amidst a crisis.

Example of Prosocial Behavior: Aftermath of the 9/11 Attacks

Helping behaviors can be driven by two contrasting motivations. Altruistic helping is selfless, stemming from genuine empathy for others. In contrast, egoistic helping is motivated by self-interest, such as the desire to feel good about oneself or receive social rewards.

Altruistic vs. Egoistic Motivations for Helping

A photograph from the immediate aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing shows a scene of chaos with scattered debris and injured individuals. Despite the danger and confusion, several people are seen actively helping and supporting the injured, which serves as a powerful example of prosocial behavior during a crisis.

Example of Prosocial Behavior: Boston Marathon Bombing

Egoistic motivation for helping is a self-serving drive where an individual voluntarily helps others with the primary goal of obtaining personal benefits, such as feeling good about oneself, because their ego is involved and they receive benefits from helping (Cialdini et al., 1997).

Egoistic Motivation for Helping

Altruistic motivation for helping is a selfless drive to help others, motivated purely by a concern for their well-being, without any expectation of personal benefits or feeling good about oneself.

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