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Paul Nyray A. Antolino WFR Psych 115

PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR LEADS TO HAPPINESS IN A SMALL-SCALE RURALSOCIETY

Statement of the prob em

Does the act of generosity (prosocial behavior) lea to happiness in a s!all"scale ruralsociety#

Hypotheses

($tu y 1) Prosocial behavior lea s to e!otional gains in a ults% an ($tu y &) prosocial behavior lea s to e!otional gains in &" to 5" year"ol 'annese chil ren.

Var!ab e" of the "t#$%

Conceptual definition

Prosocial behavior is any action inten e to help others or an act of generosity.

appiness as efine as *happy+ or *pleasure,+ an e!otion that !ay be pro!pte byco!!unity, social connection, an en-oyable e periences (e.g., ancing, !arriage, or gatheringat the Na/a!al" the village gathering spot).

Operational definition

Prosocial behavior. 0n stu y 1, the researchers efine prosocial behavior as ecision or illingness of hether they are going to /eep the cash for the!selves (personal spen ing

con ition) or going to spen it to buy co!!o ities for their frien s an fa!ilies (prosocialspen ing con ition). 0n stu y &, the researchers e a!ine prosocial ten encies by loo/ing at

hat chil ren chose to o ith the final can y offere at the en of the e peri!ental session.

appiness. 0n stu y 1, the researchers efine happiness via the reporting of their current positive an negative affect (specifically happiness, pri e, strength, sa ness, an anger) on a 1"11 scale. 'hey eci e to collect ratings using an i!age of la er rather than a verbal or rittenassess!ent of affect to clearly convey the linear nature of the scale. 0n stu y &, the researchers

efine happiness through (facial) e!otional e pressions that ere later co e fro! vi eotapes by four co ers. All co ers ere instructe to co e the chil 2s e!otional response to each actionon a seven point 3i/ert scale ranging fro! 1 (e tre!ely unhappy to 4 e tre!ely happy).

Metho$"

etho 1

• ' enty"si a ults living in s!all islan villages on 'anna 0slan , 6anuatu ( age 7 85% 15o!en) participate in this stu y in e change for 199 6atu (appro i!ately 1 :$ ollar),

or about half a ay2s age. A ults ere recruite by or of !outh.• A ults ere as/e to report their current happiness an hunger on a ;"point scale (Do

you feel happy right no # Do you feel hungry right no # 1 7 not at all% & 7 a little% ; 7yes)% hunger as inclu e as a filler

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• Ne t, a ults ere tol that they ha earne an a itional 199 6atu, presente in the for!of a 199 6atu voucher, for their participation in the e peri!ent (!a/ing their totalearnings &99 6atu).

• 'hen, a ults ere tol that they coul use their a itional 199 6atu voucher to purchasecan y, a rare co!!o ity in the village.

• A ults ere ran o!ly assigne to either the personal spen ing con ition (n 7 1;) inhich they ere infor!e they coul purchase can y for the!selves, or the prosocial

spen ing con ition (n 7 1;), in hich they ere infor!e they coul purchase can y for frien s or fa!ily.

• A ults in both con itions ere also infor!e that they coul opt out of purchasing can y,an instea re ee! the voucher for 199 6atu in cash for the!selves appro i!ately one

ee/ later. 'he 1" ee/ ti!e elay as inclu e to subtly iscourage participants fro!selecting the cash option.

• After !a/ing a purchasing ecision, a ults reporte their current positive an negativeaffect (specifically happiness, pri e, strength, sa ness, an anger&) on a 1=11 scale. Anthey eci e to collect ratings using an i!age of a la er rather than a verbal or rittenassess!ent of affect to clearly convey the linear nature of the scale% local researchassistants in icate that this !etho as appropriate for respon ents in the village.

• 'he researchers eci e to collect ratings using an i!age of a la er rather than a verbalor ritten assess!ent of affect to clearly convey the linear nature of the scale.$pecifically, participants ere sho n a picture of a oo en la er ith 11 rungs totalan ere infor!e that higher rungs on the la er in icate a lot of an e!otion, hereaslo er rungs in icate very little of an e!otion. Participants ere instructe to point to therung on the la er that best e presse their current level of a given affect variable.

etho &

• ' enty chil ren fro! the sa!e s!all"scale, rural villages on 'anna 0slan in 6anuatu (18 boys, > age 7 appro i!ately & years an 1 !onth, age range 7 & years 8 !onths=8 years ?!onths) participate in this e peri!ent.

• A sa!ple si@e of &9 chil ren as eter!ine in a vance, as consistent ith previousresearch utili@ing the sa!e para ig! (A/nin et al., &91&), to provi e enough statistical

po er to etect a !e iu! to large effect.• hil ren ere recruite by or of !outh at a village !eeting an through the local

chil care facility. 'he e peri!ent as con ucte in the local village language.'ranslation accuracy as ensure through bac/"translations as in $tu y 1. hil ren sat on

a caregiver2s lap throughout the stu y.• &arm-#p . 'he ar!"up phase as esigne to fa!iliari@e chil ren ith the testing

situation, to intro uce the! to puppets, an to sho the! that puppets en-oye eatingtreats (fruit"flavore can ies).

• Bach chil as intro uce to a plush og puppet an encourage to ave at or touch hi!.'he e peri!enter tol the chil that the puppet li/e eating can ies.

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• Ne t, the e peri!enter gave the chil an puppet their o n e!pty bo l% the puppet2s bo l ha a false botto! that as use to create the illusion that the og coul eat.

• Te"t!n' . After the ar! up, chil ren participate in a five"part testing phase i entical tothat use in A/nin, a!lin, an Dunn (&91&). 0n Phase 1, chil ren ere intro uce to ane puppet (* on/ey+), encourage to ave at or to touch on/ey an ere tol

on/ey li/e can ies. 'his phase allo e chil ren to interact ith the puppet if theyishe .

• 0n Phase &, the e peri!enter then *foun + eight can ies an sai *Ch loo/ 0 foun so!e!ore can ies. 02! going to give the! all to you+ an poure the! into the chil 2s bo l,

provi ing the chil ith valuable resources. 'he ne t three phases (Phases ;=5) ere presente in counterbalance or er.

• 'he phase (;) allo e the chil to see the puppet receive a treat but i not re

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$tu y &

• hil ren isplaye significantly !ore happiness hen engaging in costly giving" provi ing their o n can y to on/ey ( 7 5.&8, $B 7 .1?) " than hen they receivecan ies the!selves ( 7 8.5;, $B 7 .&;), t(1G) 7 ;.484, p H .995, 7 .?;.

• $i!ilarly, chil ren isplaye !ore happiness hen they engage in a non"costly act of giving"provi e the e peri!enter2s can y to on/ey ( 7 8.??, $B 7 .&9) " versusreceive can ies fro! the e peri!enter, t(14) 7 &.815, p H .95, 7 .8G.

• hil ren isplaye !ore happiness hen giving their o n can y to on/ey than hengiving an i entical can y provi e by the e peri!enter to on/ey, t(15) 7 &.511, p H .9;,

7 .;9.• We e a!ine prosocial ten encies by loo/ing at hat chil ren chose to o ith the final

can y offere at the en of the e peri!ental session. ' o"thir s (1; out of &9) of chil ren opte to give the final can y to on/ey, hereas one thir (4 out of &9) chil rentoo/ the can y for the!selves. Although !ore chil ren selecte the prosocial option,choosing to give the last can y a ay rather than /eep it for the!selves, this ifference

as not significant% & 7 1.?99, p 7 .1? (t o"taile ). 'he ten ency to give the final can yto on/ey as not associate ith age or gen er (rs H .15, ps K .;5).

S#mmar% of D!"(#""!on

• 'he fin ings reporte here suggest that both a ults an young chil ren fro! an isolate ,rural village in 6anuatu e perience greater e!otional re ar s fro! engaging in an act of generosity than fro! engaging in an act that benefits the!selves. $pecifically, in $tu y 1

e foun that si!ilar to a ults previously teste in North A!erica an else here, a ults

in 6anuatu reporte greater happiness after using !oney to purchase a gift for so!eoneelse than after using !oney to purchase a gift for the!selves. $i!ilarly, in $tu y &,young chil ren isplaye !ore happiness hen giving a can y a ay than hen receivingcan ies the!selves. ritically, the e!otional re ar s of giving ere greater henchil ren gave their o n can y a ay as oppose to an i entical treat that i not belong tothe!.

• 'hese fin ings support the possibility that the e!otional re ar s of giving !ay be auniversal feature of hu!an behavior. Although etecting the ar! glo of giving in6anuatu oes not provi e conclusive evi ence for a psychological universal, thesefin ings a to the gro ing bo y of research e!onstrating the e!otional benefits of

prosocial behavior can be etecte in various countries an cultures throughout theorl .

• 0n conclusion, this or/ a s to the gro ing bo y of research e!onstrating the he onicre ar s of prosocial behavior. Detecting the e!otional payoffs of generosity (vs. self gain) in both an a ult an chil sa!ple fro! a re!ote, non"Western society supports theclai! that hu!ans aroun the orl fin giving re ar ing an provi es fir!er groun sfor conclusions of hu!an behavior.

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BIBLIO)RAPHY

A/nin, 3ara L. M Lroesch, 'anya. (&915). Prosocial Behavior Leads to Happiness in a Small-Scale Rural Society . A!erican Psychological Association.