Deutsch: Prosoziales Verhalten, Español: Comportamiento prosocial, Português: Comportamento pró-social, Français: Comportement prosocial, Italiano: Comportamento prosociale
Prosocial Behaviour refers to voluntary actions intended to benefit another person or society as a whole. This broad category of behavior is defined by its positive social consequences and includes acts such as helping, sharing, donating, cooperating, comforting, and volunteering.
Definition and General Significance
In social psychology, prosocial behavior is studied to understand the motivation behind altruism and cooperation:
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Motivation: The motivation behind prosocial acts can vary widely. It may be purely altruistic (motivated by genuine concern for others, without expecting an external reward) or driven by egoistic reasons (e.g., seeking public praise, reducing personal distress caused by witnessing suffering, or adhering to social norms).
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Distinction from Altruism: While often used interchangeably, altruism is a type of prosocial behavior characterized by the sole motivation to help, with no expectation of personal gain. Prosocial behavior is the broader action, regardless of the underlying motive.
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Evolutionary Context: Psychologists and biologists study prosocial behavior to understand how cooperation and mutual aid developed, suggesting it offers an evolutionary advantage by promoting group survival.
Examples
Prosocial behavior is evident in various contexts, from daily interactions to major life events:
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Helping: Stopping to assist a stranger who has dropped groceries, or helping a classmate study for an exam.
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Sharing and Donating: Giving food to a food bank, donating blood, or contributing money to a charitable cause.
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Volunteering: Dedicating time without compensation to clean up a park or assist at an animal shelter.
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Comforting: Offering emotional support to a friend who is distressed, even if it disrupts one's own plans.
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Bystander Intervention: Stepping in to diffuse a public argument or assisting someone being harassed. The opposite—Bystander Effect—occurs when the presence of others inhibits prosocial behavior.
Significance in Modern Society
Prosocial behavior is fundamental to the functioning and stability of modern society:
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Social Cohesion: It builds trust, reciprocity, and strong social bonds within communities, acting as a buffer against social fragmentation and conflict.
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Civic Engagement: High levels of prosocial behavior are directly correlated with greater civic participation, volunteerism, and philanthropic efforts that sustain non-governmental organizations and public services.
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Education and Parenting: Promoting prosocial skills (such as empathy, cooperation, and perspective-taking) is a primary goal in childhood education and parenting, recognized as crucial for mental health and positive social adjustment.
Treatment and Healing (Addressing Deficits)
The concept of "treatment" or "healing" applies not to prosocial behavior itself, but to deficits in prosocial skills or the presence of antisocial behavior (actions that harm others, such as aggression or deceit). The goal is to cultivate empathy and appropriate helping responses.
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Social Skills Training (SST): Uses role-playing and direct instruction to teach children and adolescents how to read social cues, understand others' emotions, and respond appropriately (e.g., how to comfort a crying peer).
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Cognitive Restructuring: Used for individuals with aggressive or antisocial tendencies to challenge and change the underlying hostile attribution bias (the tendency to interpret ambiguous actions as intentionally aggressive).
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Empathy Induction: Therapeutic techniques and educational programs designed to increase a person's ability to take the perspective of others and imagine how they feel. Reading fiction and exposure to diverse groups have been shown to increase empathy.
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Positive Reinforcement: Consistently rewarding and praising prosocial acts (e.g., sharing a toy) to increase the frequency of that behavior.
Recommendations (Fostering Prosociality)
For individuals and communities seeking to encourage prosocial behavior:
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Model the Behavior: Adults (parents, teachers, leaders) should consistently demonstrate the prosocial behaviors they wish to see in others. Children learn most effectively through observation.
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Assign Responsibility: Give people, especially children, meaningful tasks that allow them to practice helping and contributing to the group (e.g., classroom jobs, family chores).
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Cultivate Empathy: Engage in activities that promote perspective-taking, such as discussing characters' feelings in books or movies, or discussing real-world ethical dilemmas.
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Reduce Ambiguity: When assistance is needed, make the need explicit. This overcomes the diffusion of responsibility seen in the Bystander Effect (e.g., instead of shouting "Someone call 911!" say "You in the blue shirt, call 911!").
Similar Terms
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Altruism
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Helping Behavior
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Cooperation
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Empathy
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Civic Virtue
Summary
Prosocial Behaviour encompasses all voluntary actions intended to benefit others or society, ranging from small acts of kindness to major donations. While motives can be altruistic or self-serving, these behaviors are crucial for social cohesion and community stability. Deficits in prosocial skills are addressed through Social Skills Training, Empathy Induction, and challenging underlying cognitive biases. Encouraging this behavior is best achieved through modeling, positive reinforcement, and providing opportunities for individuals to practice helping and contributing.
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