宗教信仰对亲社会行为的影响

以往研究发现宗教信仰与亲社会行为之间存在显著的正相关, 据此研究者提出“信仰-亲社会假设”试图证实两者的因果关系。本文主要从研究方法、影响因素及心理机制三个方面对信仰影响亲社会行为的研究进展进行介绍和评述。在研究早期, 研究者主要考察宗教信仰的归属身份对个体亲社会行为的影响; 而近年来, 研究者则越来越关注信仰启动对亲社会行为的影响。信仰对亲社会行为的作用受到信仰程度、文化背景、信仰认知和信仰取向等多种因素的影响。未来研究需要有效控制宗教信仰身份对亲社会测量的影响, 明确宗教信仰的操作性定义并改进相关的测量指标, 关注精神性的作用机制、“信仰-亲社会假设”的跨文化效应以及信仰概念对非宗教信仰群体的影响。     

瓦尔拉斯经济学的局限与拓展:亲社会偏好模型的兴起及其意义

瓦尔拉斯体系假设纯粹自利偏好的个体依靠完备契约和第三方无成本实施来维持社会运转,这在一定程度上并不符合社会运转的真实情况。更加符合现实的思路是个体偏好中并不仅仅包含自利偏好,而且包含亲社会性的他涉偏好,只有在个体具有愿意付出成本实施某种亲社会行为的偏好时,社会才可能得以存在。本文主要分析经济学领域近年来兴起的亲社会偏好模型及其对瓦尔拉斯体系的拓展,并讨论了这种趋势的经济学含义。     

儿童社会适应的社会信息加工模型及其特殊应用

亲社会儿童具有独特的社会信息加工特点:友善的归因倾向,关系性目标定向,对亲社会行为反应做积极评价等。应用SIP范式对儿童亲社会行为进行研究,不仅有助于研究者更清楚地揭示社会认知与亲社会行为之间的关系,理解儿童社会性发展的机制,而且还对儿童的行为矫正和训练具有积极意义。但是,SIP模型应用于亲社会行为研究时在理论模型及方法工具上还存在一定的局限。     

应激环境下亲社会性的增加：来自不同类型的亲社会偏好的研究证据

人们面临对生理或者心理产生威胁的应激事件时并不一定表现出敌意和攻击, 也可能表现出更强的亲社会性。研究发现, 基于利他动机、规则动机、策略性动机的或者基于自我报告的亲社会偏好在应激环境下都可能增强, 这可能和应激环境下直觉增强、共情提升和亲社会行为有助于改善负面情绪方面的机制有关。未来研究可以从应激的性质、诱发方式、影响机制、个体差异和发展特征等方面去理解应激增加亲社会性的条件, 从而提高群体韧性。     

亲社会视频游戏对国外青少年行为的影响

视频游戏对青少年行为影响的研究焦点主要集中在暴力视频游戏带来的消极影响上。随着研究的深入以及积极心理学的兴起,研究者开始关注亲社会视频游戏对青少年行为的积极影响,并进行了相关的研究,研究大多以一般学习模型为理论框架。一般学习模型认为亲社会视频游戏通过影响与亲社会相关的认知、情感和生理唤醒而对亲社会行为产生作用。已有研究显示,亲社会视频游戏会促进青少年的亲社会行为,同时减少青少年的攻击性行为。研究者们采用多种方法探索亲社会视频游戏影响青少年行为的心理机制,证明了一般学习模型的理论构想。未来研究需要进一步研究性别、人格、文化等因素的影响,并开展相关的认知神经机制研究。     

亲社会行为研究的新趋势

本文简要回顾了亲社会行为研究的简要历史。20世纪90年代以来,亲社会行为研究出现新的发展趋势：（1）首先随着多元统计技术的发展,研究者越来越多采用多变量的研究方法,以期更为准确地解释和预测亲社会行为的发生。（2）研究者对人们眼中亲社会行为进行研究,深化了亲社会行为的内涵。（3）社会信息加工模型在亲社会行为研究中得到了应用。     

亲社会行为产生机制的理论演进

亲社会行为是指人们在社会交往中表现出来的谦让、帮助、合作、分享,甚至为了他人利益而做出自我牺牲的一切有助于社会和谐的行为及趋向。亲社会行为的产生机制一直是社会心理学的研究热点,研究者们不断提出各种理论、模型解释亲社会行为。本文通过对亲社会行为理论的梳理,将其按照发展顺序概括为进化理论阶段（亲缘选择理论、群体选择理论、互惠理论）、认知理论阶段（损失-奖赏的激励模型、社会信息加工模型、捐赠的二阶模型）、生物基础理论阶段（生物情感理论、脑机制模型）。最后对这些理论进行总结和评论,并提出未来亲社会行为理论可以进一步关注的问题。     

网游对青少年亲社会行为的影响

网络游戏世界中的玩家在互动与交流中组成了一个虚拟的社区,在这个"社区"里,游戏玩家也发生着社会化行为,实践着游戏内亲社会行为。本文通过问卷调查研究发现:在大型多人网络游戏这一"互动性"环境中,存在"游戏内互动性亲社会行为"与"游戏内服务性亲社会行为"两类游戏内亲社会行为,而且游戏内容与游戏情景对游戏内亲社会行为均有影响。进一步的研究还揭示出:游戏内容的亲社会性与游戏情景的亲社会性对游戏内互动性亲社会行为具有显著的正面影响,游戏情景的亲社会性影响强于游戏内容的亲社会性;游戏情景的亲社会性、游戏内容的亲社会性、游戏内容的暴力性、游戏情景的暴力性对游戏内服务性亲社会行为均具有显著的正面影响,强度由高到低。此外游戏内亲社会行为对线下亲社会行为的影响则随着亲社会行为类型的不同而有一定的差异。     

十多年来中国亲社会心理研究述评

亲社会行为是一个健康和谐社会所需要与竭力倡导的良好行为,用准确丰富的亲社会心理研究成果指导与促进和谐社会的建设是社会心理研究者的责任。最近12年来中国心理学界对亲社会行为有一些研究,但研究的质与量都有欠缺,尤其是成人的亲社会行为研究不多,亲社会心理研究中存在一些观念上的问题。     

暴力视频游戏对个体亲社会性的影响：一项元分析

暴力视频游戏是一种新兴的娱乐媒介, 是指含有描绘个体试图对其他个体造成伤害等内容的视频游戏。亲社会性是人类区别于动物的重要特征, 包括在人际交往中个体所表现出的利他、助人等一切使他人受益的认知、情感和行为。本文采用元分析的方法整合国内外已有研究, 分析暴力视频游戏对玩家亲社会性影响的主效应, 并重点考察各调节变量在暴力视频游戏与亲社会性的关系中产生的作用。通过文献检索, 纳入符合要求的文献24篇, 包含63个效应值(effect size), 总样本量18554人。研究结果显示：暴力视频游戏与亲社会性总效应值显著, 但相关较弱(r = -0.10)。调节效应分析表明, 暴力视频游戏与亲社会性的关系受到被试性别、被试类型、被试年龄、测量类型与亲社会性测量指标的调节。未来研究可以进一步采用一般攻击模型与一般学习模型等理论模型指导暴力视频游戏对亲社会行为影响研究, 同时优化实证研究中测量亲社会性的实验范式, 并且需要重点考察个体差异对暴力视频游戏与亲社会性关系的影响。     

The Differential role of parenting,peers, and temperament for explaining interindividual differences in 18-months-olds’ comforting and helping

This study analyzes temperamental and social correlates of 18-month-olds’ (N = 58) instrumental helping (i.e., handing over out-of-reach objects) and comforting (i.e., alleviating experimenter’s distress). While out-of-reach helping as a basic type of prosocial behavior was not associated with any of the social and temperamental variables, comforting was associated with maternal responsible parenting, day care attendance, and temperamental fear, accounting for 34% of the total variance in a corresponding regression model. The data of the present study suggest that, while simple instrumental helping seems to be a robust developmental phenomenon, comforting is associated with specific social experiences and child temperament that constitute interindividual differences and thereby help to explain the domain-specific development of prosociality.     

Loss context enhances preferences for generosity but reduces preferences for honesty: Evidence from a combined behavioural-computational approach

The current literature has revealed mixed evidence on whether loss (vs. gain) context promotes or curtails human prosociality. The current study (N=96) aimed to address this issue by examining whether gain/loss context has distinct effects on different prosocial preferences combining computational modelling with Dictator Game and Message Game. These interactive games allow for dissociating preferences for generosity and honesty, which have been respectively associated with intuitive and deliberative systems. Our behavioural and computational modelling results indicate that loss context enhances concerns for generosity but reduces concerns for honesty. These findings support an account under the framework of dual process model asserting that loss facilitates intuitive responses during social decision-making, regardless of whether they are prosocial or proself. The current findings reconcile previous debates on the relationship between loss-gain context and human prosociality and shed light on the design of institutions to promote human prosocial behaviours.     

Who cares when nobody is watching? Psychopathic traits and empathy in prosocial behaviors

Prosocial behaviors are voluntary acts intended to benefit others. Lack of empathy is a core feature of psychopathy, a constellation of personality traits that includes callousness, egocentricity, and antisociality. While psychopathy is often associated with antisocial behavior, its relation to prosociality may depend upon the class of prosocial behavior and facet of psychopathy considered. Public prosocial behavior may be more motivated by extrinsic social rewards than anonymous prosociality, which may be more motivated by empathy and altruistic motives. It was hypothesized that primary psychopathy, especially affective callousness, would be positively and uniquely associated with public prosociality, and inversely associated with anonymous and altruistic prosociality, and that these associations would be mediated by empathy. In contrast, secondary psychopathy was expected to be weakly and inversely associated with all three types of prosocial behavior and with empathy. In an undergraduate student sample (n = 539), unique and interaction effects were tested in hierarchical regression. Predictions were supported for primary psychopathy. Gender did not moderate associations. Theoretical and practical implications are considered.     

The propagation of everyday prosociality in the workplace

Prosocial behaviors typically benefit those who perform them but can create mixed emotions in recipients. Yet, how does prosociality affect the well-being of those who merely observe it? The current study aimed to answer this question by experimentally prompting employees to perform prosocial acts at work (Givers), be the recipient of such acts (Receivers), or to do neither (Observers). Our focus was on everyday prosociality, which involves kind acts directed at those in one’s social circle, rather than at individuals in need. Social proximity to Givers, but not Receivers, positively predicted boosts in well-being. Indeed, social proximity to Receivers was associated with a nonsignificant trend toward decreased well-being. However, both social proximity to Givers and social proximity to Receivers predicted increases in prosocial behavior among Observers. These results suggest that prosocial behavior and its emotional benefits propagate through social networks, particularly for those in close social proximity to prosocial actors.     

Why Are Protestants More Prosocial Than Catholics? A Comparative Study Among Orthodox Dutch Believers

The present study sheds light on the contentious relation between religions and prosociality by comparing self-reported altruistic and prosocial behavior among a group of Catholic and Protestant believers. We found that denomination was strongly related to strength of religious beliefs, afterlife beliefs, free-will beliefs, and self-reported prosocial behavior. Denominational differences between Catholics and Protestants in self-reported prosociality were mediated by a stronger endorsement of religious beliefs and belief in predestination but were not related to motivational measures of self-esteem. We also found that the perceived prosociality (i.e., the extent to which others were perceived as being prosocial) was higher for one’s religious ingroup than one’s outgroup, and this effect was stronger for Catholics than Protestants. These novel findings provide an integrated perspective on how religious denominations shape prosocial attitudes and behavior.     

Awe’s effects on generosity and helping

It is unclear whether positive emotionality in general, or some specific positive emotions (e.g. other-oriented ones), but not others (e.g. self-oriented and, possibly, stimulus-oriented ones), enhance prosocial thoughts, dispositions, and behavior. We focus here on awe and argue that, although being primarily stimulus-oriented and not necessarily social in its very nature, awe should enhance prosociality for several theoretical reasons. In replicating and extending previous initial research, we found in two online experiments that the induction of awe (video clip or recall), compared to the induction of amusement or a neutral condition, leads to increased prosocial behavioral intentions of generosity (spontaneous sharing of hypothetical gains) and help of a person in need – in hypothetical everyday life situations. Awe’s effect on prosociality was independent from participants’ religiosity (in both experiments) but seemed to be clearer for those in need of such affective stimulation, i.e. less agreeable participants (Experiment 2).     

Neural response to prosocial scenes relates to subsequent giving behavior in adolescents: A pilot study

Adolescence is characterized by extensive neural development and sensitivity to social context, both of which contribute to engaging in prosocial behaviors. Although it is established that prosocial behaviors are linked to positive outcomes in adulthood, little is known about the neural correlates of adolescents’ prosociality. Identifying whether the brain is differentially responsive to varying types of social input may be important for fostering prosocial behavior. We report pilot results using new stimuli and an ecologically valid donation paradigm indicating (1) brain regions typically recruited during socioemotional processing evinced differential activation when adolescents evaluated prosocial compared with social or noninteractive scenes (N = 20, ages 13–17 years, M_Age = 15.30 years), and (2) individual differences in temporoparietal junction recruitment when viewing others’ prosocial behaviors were related to adolescents’ own charitable giving. These novel findings have significant implications for understanding how the adolescent brain processes prosocial acts and for informing ways to support adolescents to engage in prosocial behaviors in their daily lives.     

Religiosity and Prosocial Behavior Among Churchgoers: Exploring Underlying Mechanisms

Research has shown that religious beliefs and practices are related, to some extent, to prosocial behaviors, but less is known about why it is so. In addition, participating in the traditional Christian ritual (Sunday Mass) may be particularly powerful in eliciting prosocial behavior among believers. The present study explores the aspects of the Sunday Mass that may be involved in the activation of religious prosociality. The social, emotional, and cognitive aspects of the Mass were concurrently assessed among churchgoers (n = 548) across 20 different parishes. Prosociality was measured by looking at spontaneous intention to share a hypothetical lottery prize. Results showed that a positive relation found between religion and prosociality was mediated by the social aspect of the Mass. Additional analyses revealed that this social aspect also induced the emotion of love, which in turn promoted prosociality.     

Visualized prosocial behavior and emotion in late life

Correlational research suggests that among older adults prosociality relates to positive emotions; yet causality remains unclear. We conducted an experiment to investigate whether visualizing a prosocial action would experience enhanced positive and lower negative emotion, and whether this would be particularly true for those with certain altruistic personality traits. Participants aged sixty and above were primed with a prosocial (helping a needy stranger), social (going out with friends), or neutral (walking down the street) induction. Results indicated that positive affect was highest among those who visualized a prosocial interaction, and that this effect was strongest among those higher in social responsibility. In contrast, less altruistically oriented participants reported higher negative affect in the prosocial condition. Thus, while prosociality promoted positive affect particularly among the socially responsible, it led to increased negative affect among those lower in altruistic orientation. Results suggest that individual differences influence older adults’ responses to exposure to prosocial involvement.