The Dispositional Basis of Human Prosociality

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Individual differences in prosocial behavior have been consistently observed in a variety of contexts. Here, we summarize and critically discuss recent developments in two research agendas on the dispositional basis of human prosociality: a personality approach, proposing a variety of trait concepts and corresponding measures to predict prosocial behavior in different situations; and a behavioral consistency approach, testing for consistency in prosocial behaviors and its underlying latent disposition(s) across situations. Drawing on different properties of situations (so-called situational affordances), we outline a theoretical framework that can help integrate these so far hardly connected research agendas. We also point out limitations of prior research, such as a lack of theory, and provide suggestions on how to overcome them.
Original languageEnglish
JournalCurrent Opinion in Psychology
Volume43
Pages (from-to)289-294
ISSN2352-250X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2022

ID: 276700478