Latent profiles of multidimensional prosocial behaviors: An examination of prosocial personality groups

Meredith McGinley, Sarah L. Pierotti, Gustavo Carlo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

The current study sought to determine how prosocial behaviors reflecting various motivations (altruistic and public prosocial behaviors) and situations (i.e., anonymous, compliant, dire, and emotional prosocial behaviors) jointly inform subtypes of prosocial personality groups. Undergraduates (N = 324, M age = 19.47 years, 80% female) completed a measure of these six prosocial behaviors (Prosocial Tendencies Measure-Revised). Latent profile analysis results supported a three-group solution: altruistic helpers (AH), public helpers (PH), and altruistic idealists (AI). The AH and AI profiles were defined by elevated altruistic prosocial behaviors, but the AH profile was higher on situational helping and socioemotive and sociocognitive correlates. The PH profile was characterized by elevated public prosocial behaviors and moderate levels of situational helping. These identified profiles support multiple competing ideas of the true nature of prosocial personality, but also introduce the possibility that some individuals idealize motives but fail to engage in behavior.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)245-261
Number of pages17
JournalJournal of Social Psychology
Volume162
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2022

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Social Psychology

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