Prosocial behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. The role of responsibility and vulnerability.

ABSTRACT: In two pre-registered and fully incentivized studies (N = 501), we investigate prosocial behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Based on a comparison with pre-pandemic data, Study 1 shows that individuals' general prosociality measured with a (context-independent) Social Value Orientation Slider changed significantly before vs. during the early stage of the pandemic towards increased prosociality. In addition, we identified pandemic-specific context factors for prosocial behavior measured by a series of Dictator games with different recipients. Allocations in the Dictator game increased with the giver's responsibility and the recipients' vulnerability to the virus. Study 2 replicates and extends this finding in a sample representative for the adult German population in te

SUBMITTER: Hellmann DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8482435 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature