Are you more risk-seeking when helping others? Effects of situational urgency and peer presence on prosocial risky behavior

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Prosocial risky behavior (PRB) proposes that individuals take risks for others’ benefits or social welfare, and that this may involve trade-offs between risk and social preferences. However, little is known about the underlying cognitive mechanisms of risk-seeking or aversion during PRB.

Methods

This study adopted the dilemma-priming paradigm to examine the interaction between the risk levels of personal cost and situational urgency on PRB (Experiment 1, N  = 88), and it further uncovered the modulation of the risk levels of failure (Experiment 2, N  = 65) and peer presence (Experiment 3, N  = 80) when helping others.

Results

In Experiment 1, the participants involved in risky dilemmas made more altruistic choices for strangers in urgent situations c

SUBMITTER: Liu C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10020997 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature