Back to the future: A way to increase prosocial behavior.

ABSTRACT: Previous studies suggest a link between future thinking and prosocial behaviors. However, this association is not fully understood at state and trait level. The present study tested whether a brief future thinking induction promoted helping behavior in an unrelated task. In addition, the relation between mental time travel and prosocial behaviors in daily life was tested with questionnaire data. Forty-eight participants filled in questionnaires and were asked to think about the future for one minute or to name animals for one minute (control condition) before playing the Zurich Prosocial Game (a measure of helping behavior). Results revealed that participants in the future thinking condition helped significantly more than participants in the control condition. Moreover, questionnaire data

SUBMITTER: Cernadas Curotto P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9342755 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature