Does observing reciprocity or exploitation affect elevation, a mechanism driving prosociality?

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Behavioral Economics
• Evolutionary Psychology

Background:

• Prosocial behavior, or acting to benefit others, is crucial for fitness.
• Elevation, an emotion triggered by witnessing exemplary prosociality, can increase an observer's own prosocial tendencies.
• Previous research focused on responses to single prosocial individuals, overlooking the impact of group dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how the responses of others to a prosocial exemplar influence an observer's elevation and subsequent prosocial motivation.
• To determine if observing prosocial reciprocation or exploitation of a prosocial act affects observer's elevation.
• To test predictions regarding the profitability of prosociality in social contexts.

Main Methods:

• Three online studies were conducted with American participants.
• Participants were presented with scenarios involving a prosocial exemplar and their responses were manipulated.
• The study measured participants' elevation and changes in prosocial motivation based on observed social feedback.

Main Results:

• Contrary to predictions, observing beneficiaries reciprocate prosociality did not enhance observer elevation.
• Observing beneficiaries exploit the prosocial exemplar significantly diminished observer elevation.
• Antisocial responses to prosocial acts were found to decrease prosocial motivation.

Conclusions:

• The social context and the responses of others critically shape the elicitation of elevation.
• Exploitation of prosocial acts, rather than reciprocation, undermines the motivational impact of witnessing generosity.
• Understanding social feedback is key to understanding the regulation of prosocial behavior.