Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 530-541 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Social Psychological and Personality Science |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Early online date | 5 Apr 2016 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Aug 2016 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Abstract
Prosocial behavior is crucial for functioning societies. However, its reliable scientific assessment and the understanding of its underlying structure are still a challenge. We integrated 14 paradigms from diverse disciplines to identify reliable and method-independent subcomponents of human prosociality; 329 participants performed game theoretical paradigms and hypothetical distribution tasks commonly used in behavioral economics and completed interactive computer tasks and self-reports typically employed in psychology. Four subcomponents of prosociality were identified by exploratory factor analysis and verified by confirmatory factor analysis in an independent sample: altruistically motivated prosocial behavior, norm motivated prosocial behavior, strategically motivated prosocial behavior, and self-reported prosocial behavior. Altruistically motivated behavior was related to gender, to enhanced cognitive skills, and to reduced negative affect. Our study provides a crucial step toward an overarching framework on prosocial behavior that will benefit future research on predictors, neural underpinnings, and plasticity of human cooperation and prosociality.
Keywords
- altruism, economic games, factor analysis, interindividual differences, prosocial behavior, social decision-making
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychology(all)
- Social Psychology
- Psychology(all)
- Clinical Psychology
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In: Social Psychological and Personality Science, Vol. 7, No. 6, 01.08.2016, p. 530-541.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The Structure of Human Prosociality
T2 - Differentiating Altruistically Motivated, Norm Motivated, Strategically Motivated, and Self-Reported Prosocial Behavior
AU - Böckler, Anne
AU - Tusche, Anita
AU - Singer, Tania
PY - 2016/8/1
Y1 - 2016/8/1
N2 - Prosocial behavior is crucial for functioning societies. However, its reliable scientific assessment and the understanding of its underlying structure are still a challenge. We integrated 14 paradigms from diverse disciplines to identify reliable and method-independent subcomponents of human prosociality; 329 participants performed game theoretical paradigms and hypothetical distribution tasks commonly used in behavioral economics and completed interactive computer tasks and self-reports typically employed in psychology. Four subcomponents of prosociality were identified by exploratory factor analysis and verified by confirmatory factor analysis in an independent sample: altruistically motivated prosocial behavior, norm motivated prosocial behavior, strategically motivated prosocial behavior, and self-reported prosocial behavior. Altruistically motivated behavior was related to gender, to enhanced cognitive skills, and to reduced negative affect. Our study provides a crucial step toward an overarching framework on prosocial behavior that will benefit future research on predictors, neural underpinnings, and plasticity of human cooperation and prosociality.
AB - Prosocial behavior is crucial for functioning societies. However, its reliable scientific assessment and the understanding of its underlying structure are still a challenge. We integrated 14 paradigms from diverse disciplines to identify reliable and method-independent subcomponents of human prosociality; 329 participants performed game theoretical paradigms and hypothetical distribution tasks commonly used in behavioral economics and completed interactive computer tasks and self-reports typically employed in psychology. Four subcomponents of prosociality were identified by exploratory factor analysis and verified by confirmatory factor analysis in an independent sample: altruistically motivated prosocial behavior, norm motivated prosocial behavior, strategically motivated prosocial behavior, and self-reported prosocial behavior. Altruistically motivated behavior was related to gender, to enhanced cognitive skills, and to reduced negative affect. Our study provides a crucial step toward an overarching framework on prosocial behavior that will benefit future research on predictors, neural underpinnings, and plasticity of human cooperation and prosociality.
KW - altruism
KW - economic games
KW - factor analysis
KW - interindividual differences
KW - prosocial behavior
KW - social decision-making
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84978204614&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1948550616639650
DO - 10.1177/1948550616639650
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84978204614
VL - 7
SP - 530
EP - 541
JO - Social Psychological and Personality Science
JF - Social Psychological and Personality Science
SN - 1948-5506
IS - 6
ER -