Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

4-25-2025

Keywords

actions, altruism, behavior, benefit others, comforting, distress, empathy, general range of actions, helping, motivating influences, morality, motivation, personal gain, principle, prosocial behavior, prosocial reasoning, research, selflessness, sharing, voluntary action

Disciplines

Developmental Psychology

Abstract

Prosocial behavior is best described as a general range of actions that are intended to benefit individuals other than one’s self. Some of these prosocial actions include helping, comforting, and sharing with others (Batson & Powell, 2003). More specifically, prosocial behavior is better understood as one’s voluntary action that is solely meant to benefit others. Prosocial reasoning is the motivating influences for an individual to engage in a prosocial behavior. Some research suggests that reasoning behind prosocial behavior is a motivation toward altruism, a principle in which one individual is selfless and engages in behaviors that help others, despite personal gain. Therefore, a potential reason for someone to engage in prosocial behavior may be to become more altruistic.

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