An act or activity that promotes the welfare of others.
philanthropy
.
altruism
.
humanitarianism
.
almsgiving
.
Though
prosocial behavior can be confused with altruism
, they are, in fact, two distinct concepts. Prosocial behavior refers to a pattern of activity, whereas, altruism is the motivation to help others out of pure regard for their needs rather than how the action will benefit oneself.
| philanthropic charitable | generous benevolent | altruistic beneficent | unselfish magnanimous | kind liberal |
|---|
Prosocial behavior refers to a range
of positive behaviors
including positive interactions (e.g., friendly play or peaceful conflict resolutions), altruism (e.g., sharing, offering help), and behaviors that reduce stereotypes (Mares and Woodard, 2007).
What are three types of prosocial behaviors? Social scientists can identify a massive array of behaviors that fit within the broad topic of prosocial behavior, but most of these behaviors fit under the umbrella of three different types of prosocial action:
sharing, helping, and comforting.
I will argue that within the general domain of prosocial behavior, other-oriented actions can be categorized into three distinct types (
helping, sharing, and comforting
) that reflect responses to three distinct negative states (instrumental need, unmet material desire, and emotional distress).
The purest forms of prosocial behavior are motivated by
altruism
, an unselfish interest in helping another person. According to Santrock, the circumstances most likely to evoke altruism are empathy for an individual in need, or a close relationship between the benefactor and the recipient.
For one, helping others feels good: it often leads to a positive mood and reduced stress. Over time, prosocial behavior is associated with
greater psychological well-being
, better social relationships, and better physical health, including greater longevity.
- provide warm and supportive parenting;
- use positive discipline;
- present consistent messages.
- explain right from wrong, and.
- consider each child’s own personality and abilities in providing socialization experiences.
For both prosocial behavior and helping intention,
parental influence is
the most important predictor, followed by peer and then school influence. These findings are in different from literatures, which showing the great impact of peer influence on adolescent development (31).
- A person donating money to charity, even though he/she receives no tangible benefit from doing so.
- Stopping to help a stranded motorist.
- A monkey grooming another monkey.
- A dog playing more gently with puppies than he/she does with adult dogs.
Prosocial behaviors are those intended to help other people. These actions are characterized by a concern for the rights, feelings, and welfare of other people. Behaviors that can be described as prosocial include
feeling empathy and concern for others
.
- Provide feedback on progress towards reaching specific prosocial goals.
- Practice manners prior to going into the community.
- Explain rules and expectations of a new situation and give a reminder before that event.
- Use social stories to prepare individuals for new situations.
Prosocial behavior
is contagious
. Studies show that people who see others act prosocially are more likely to do so themselves.
In this chapter, we define positive social behavior as
social competence with peers and adults, compliance with rules and adult direction
, and autonomy or self-reliance.
We found that
susceptibility to prosocial influence decreased with age
. Children (8–11 years), young adolescents (12–14 years) and mid‐adolescents (15–18 years) all showed susceptibility to prosocial influence, while young adults (19–25 years) and adults (26–59 years) did not.
