No one asked: exploring the psychological effects of proactive prosocial behaviour

<p dir="ltr">Prosocial behaviour (doing things for others) is increasingly acknowledged for its positive impact on benefactor well-being, especially when undertaken autonomously. However, there is limited understanding of how unrequested and requested prosocial acts affect well-being outcomes, and whether individuals can accurately anticipate the psychological impact of acting without being asked compared to responding to requests. This thesis investigates when prosocial behaviour most effectively enhances benefactor well-being, focusing on whether the act is requested or unrequested, and how this relates to autonomy.</p><p dir="ltr">Chapter 1 reviews the dynamic relationship between prosocial behaviour and well-being and introduces a new model for understanding how key factors can shape benefactor well-being outcomes. Chapters 2 and 3 present empirical data that address how these factors might influence well-being outcomes in everyday life.</p><p dir="ltr">Chapter 2 reports two studies using recall and daily-diary methods to examine how requested and unrequested prosociality impact benefactor well-being. Both studies found that unrequested prosociality is associated with greater positive affect and meaning, largely due to enhanced feelings of autonomy.</p><p dir="ltr">Chapter 3 presents two studies that explored the effects of unrequested prosociality while controlling for extraneous variables, and how people anticipate and experience the emotional consequences of prosociality. One study used vignettes to investigate how participants expected to feel when imagining helping others in different situations. The other compared participants’ emotional expectations to their actual emotional experiences of being prosocial. Together, these studies showed that people can overestimate both the positive and negative emotional impact of being prosocial and may undervalue the emotional benefits of acting without being asked.</p><p dir="ltr">Overall, the findings highlight and caveat the emotional rewards of proactive, autonomous prosociality, and suggest that benefactors may not always recognise these benefits in advance. The research has theoretical implications for models of prosociality and well-being, and practical relevance for designing interventions that encourage prosociality in ways that enhance well-being for both givers and recipients.</p>