Kindness in short supply: Evidence for inadequate prosocial input

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Behavioral Economics

Background:

• Prosocial input, encompassing feedback, advice, compliments, and gratitude, offers significant well-being benefits for both givers and receivers.
• Despite known benefits, individuals frequently refrain from providing prosocial input in daily life.
• This reluctance contributes to a societal deficit in expressed kindness and support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the psychological reasons behind the under-delivery of prosocial input.
• To identify the specific cognitive biases that lead individuals to withhold beneficial social information.
• To understand the discrepancy between the potential positive impact of prosocial input and its actual provision.

Main Methods:

• The study examines psychological barriers preventing the provision of prosocial input.
• It analyzes common scenarios where individuals have opportunities to offer beneficial information.
• The research identifies cognitive factors influencing the decision to give or withhold input.

Main Results:

• Potential givers consistently overestimate the negative social consequences of offering prosocial input (e.g., recipient discomfort).
• Conversely, givers underestimate the positive benefits their input could provide to recipients (e.g., feeling helped or valued).
• At least four distinct psychological mechanisms contribute to this misjudgment and subsequent inaction.

Conclusions:

• Hesitancy to provide prosocial input stems from biased perceptions of social costs and benefits.
• Addressing these psychological overestimations and underestimations could increase the frequency of prosocial behaviors.
• Facilitating more prosocial input can enhance overall well-being and foster a kinder social environment.