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The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
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Does observing reciprocity or exploitation affect elevation, a mechanism driving prosociality?

Daniel M T Fessler1, Adam Maxwell Sparks1, Theodore Samore1

  • 1Department of Anthropology and Center for Behavior, Evolution and Culture, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Evolutionary Human Sciences
|August 17, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Witnessing exemplary prosocial behavior can inspire similar actions. However, this study found that observing others exploit prosocial acts, rather than reciprocate, significantly reduces the observer's motivation to be prosocial.

Keywords:
Prosocialityelevationemotionexploitation

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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.