Prosocial Behavior Examples

Why This Matters

Prosocial behavior sits at the heart of social psychology because it reveals the mechanisms that drive humans to help one another—even when there's no obvious personal benefit. On the AP exam, you're being tested on your understanding of why people help, when they're most likely to help, and what factors increase or decrease helping behavior. This means connecting specific examples to theories like the bystander effect, social exchange theory, empathy-altruism hypothesis, and reciprocity norms.

Don't just memorize a list of nice things people do for each other. Instead, know what psychological principle each example illustrates. When an FRQ asks you to explain prosocial behavior, you'll need to identify the underlying motivation—is it altruistic (purely selfless), driven by empathy, or explained by social norms and reciprocity? Understanding these distinctions will help you earn full credit and avoid surface-level answers.

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Empathy-Driven Helping

These behaviors are best explained by the empathy-altruism hypothesis—the idea that feeling empathy for someone in distress motivates genuinely selfless helping. When we emotionally connect with another person's suffering, we're driven to reduce their pain, not just our own discomfort.

Comforting a Friend in Distress

• Empathic concern triggers this behavior—you help because you genuinely feel their pain, not to reduce your own discomfort
• Strengthens attachment bonds through vulnerability and trust, reinforcing relationship quality over time
• Demonstrates emotional support as a key predictor of relationship satisfaction and psychological well-being

Offering Emotional Support

• Validates another's experience, which research shows reduces stress hormones and promotes resilience
• Empathy accuracy—correctly reading someone's emotions—predicts how effective your support will be
• Builds social capital by creating reciprocal relationships where support flows both directions

Helping a Stranger in Need

• Empathy can override the bystander effect when you feel a personal connection to the victim's situation
• Diffusion of responsibility decreases when you're alone or feel uniquely qualified to help
• Creates prosocial contagion—witnessing helping behavior increases others' likelihood of helping later

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Norm-Based Prosocial Behavior

These examples illustrate how social norms—unwritten rules about expected behavior—guide prosocial action. The reciprocity norm says we should help those who help us; the social responsibility norm says we should help those who depend on us.

Sharing with Others

• Reciprocity norm drives much sharing behavior—we share expecting future returns, even unconsciously
• Reduces in-group competition and strengthens group cohesion, which has evolutionary advantages
• Social exchange theory explains sharing as a cost-benefit calculation where social rewards outweigh material costs

Donating Money or Resources

• Social responsibility norm motivates giving to those perceived as legitimately needy
• Just-world hypothesis can actually reduce donations if people blame victims for their circumstances
• Public vs. anonymous giving reveals whether motivation is truly altruistic or driven by reputation concerns

Cooperating in Group Tasks

• Social facilitation can enhance performance on simple cooperative tasks when others are present
• Social loafing is the dark side—people contribute less in groups unless individual effort is identifiable
• Superordinate goals (shared objectives requiring cooperation) reduce intergroup conflict and increase helping

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Bystander Intervention and Advocacy

These behaviors require overcoming psychological barriers like diffusion of responsibility and pluralistic ignorance. They demonstrate that prosocial behavior isn't just about kindness—it's about action in ambiguous or risky situations.

Standing Up Against Bullying or Injustice

• Bystander intervention requires noticing the event, interpreting it as an emergency, and taking personal responsibility
• Pluralistic ignorance occurs when everyone assumes others' inaction means the situation isn't serious
• Moral courage involves helping despite personal risk—a key factor distinguishing active bystanders from passive witnesses

Participating in Community Service

• Increases perspective-taking by exposing participants to different life circumstances and challenges
• Contact hypothesis applies—meaningful interaction with diverse groups reduces prejudice
• Civic engagement correlates with stronger community identity and long-term prosocial commitment

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Sustained Prosocial Commitment

These behaviors go beyond one-time helping to represent ongoing prosocial identity. They're best explained by theories emphasizing self-concept and intrinsic motivation—people help because it's part of who they are.

Volunteering

• Intrinsic motivation predicts long-term volunteer retention better than external rewards or pressure
• Volunteer functions include values expression, social connection, career development, and self-enhancement
• Identity-based motivation—seeing yourself as "a volunteer"—increases commitment and consistency

Mentoring or Tutoring Others

• Generativity—the desire to guide the next generation—peaks in middle adulthood but appears across the lifespan
• Teaching enhances learning for the mentor through the protégé effect, making this mutually beneficial
• Role modeling transmits prosocial values, creating intergenerational patterns of helping behavior

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Quick Reference Table

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Self-Check Questions

1. Which two prosocial behaviors best illustrate the reciprocity norm, and how do they differ in whether reciprocation is expected immediately or over time?

2. A student witnesses bullying but doesn't intervene because no one else seems concerned. Which concept explains this, and what prosocial behavior would overcome it?

3. Compare and contrast donating money and volunteering in terms of the psychological theories that explain each behavior. Which involves more intrinsic motivation?

4. If an FRQ asks you to explain why someone helped a crying stranger at a bus stop, which two concepts would you use to earn full credit—and what situational factors would you mention?

5. How does mentoring demonstrate both the empathy-altruism hypothesis and social exchange theory? What makes it different from one-time helping behaviors?