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A dual-process approach to prosocial behavior under COVID-19 uncertainty
Daniela Costa1, Nuno Fernandes1, Joana Arantes1
1Psychology Research Center, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
Plos One
|March 29, 2022
Summary
Intuitive decision-making increases prosocial behavior, such as staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Uncertainty did not decrease prosocial intentions, especially in realistic scenarios.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
- Decision Science
Background:
- Uncertainty typically reduces cooperation and prosocial behavior in social dilemmas.
- However, impact uncertainty (about consequences for others) may increase prosociality.
- Intuitive processing is hypothesized to favor prosociality, while deliberation favors selfishness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how intuitive versus deliberate processing, under outcome or impact uncertainty, affects prosocial behavior.
- To examine these effects within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Main Methods:
- A between-subjects design with 496 participants.
- Manipulated COVID-19 scenarios (Control, Impact Uncertainty, Worst-Case, Indirect Transmission) and decision time (time delay vs. time pressure).
- Measured prosocial intention (e.g., staying home).
Main Results:
- Participants exhibited greater prosocial intention (staying home) under intuitive (time pressure) than deliberate (time delay) decision-making.
- Uncertainty did not consistently decrease prosocial behavior.
- Prosocial intention was unaffected by uncertainty in a realistic infectious disease scenario.
Conclusions:
- Intuitive processing promotes prosocial intentions, contrasting with deliberate processing.
- The impact of uncertainty on prosocial behavior may depend on the realism of the situation.
- Distinctions between outcome and impact uncertainty might be influenced by experimental realism.
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