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- All HBS Web (151)
- Faculty Publications (100)
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- All HBS Web (151)
- Faculty Publications (100)
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- January 2012
- Article
Paying to Be Nice: Consistency and Costly Prosocial Behavior
By: Ayelet Gneezy, Alex Imas, Amber Brown, Leif D. Nelson and Michael I. Norton
Building on previous research in economics and psychology, we propose that the costliness of initial prosocial behavior positively influences whether that behavior leads to consistent future behaviors. We suggest that costly prosocial behaviors serve as a signal of... View Details
Gneezy, Ayelet, Alex Imas, Amber Brown, Leif D. Nelson, and Michael I. Norton. "Paying to Be Nice: Consistency and Costly Prosocial Behavior." Management Science 58, no. 1 (January 2012): 179–187.
- 04 Jun 2013
- Working Paper Summaries
Prosocial Bonuses Increase Employee Satisfaction and Team Performance
- 2022
- Article
Values and Inequality: Prosocial Jobs and the College Wage Premium
By: Nathan Wilmers and Letian Zhang
Employers often recruit workers by invoking corporate social responsibility, organizational purpose, or other claims to a prosocial mission. In an era of substantial labor
market inequality, commentators typically dismiss these claims as hypocritical: prosocial... View Details
Wilmers, Nathan, and Letian Zhang. "Values and Inequality: Prosocial Jobs and the College Wage Premium." American Sociological Review 87, no. 3 (2022): 415–442.
- December 2023
- Article
Discerning Saints: Moralization of Intrinsic Motivation and Selective Prosociality at Work
By: Mijeong Kwon, Julia Lee Cunningham and Jon M. Jachimowicz
Intrinsic motivation has received widespread attention as a predictor of positive work outcomes, including employees’ prosocial behavior. In the current research, we offer a more nuanced view by proposing that intrinsic motivation does not uniformly increase prosocial... View Details
Kwon, Mijeong, Julia Lee Cunningham, and Jon M. Jachimowicz. "Discerning Saints: Moralization of Intrinsic Motivation and Selective Prosociality at Work." Academy of Management Journal 66, no. 6 (December 2023): 1625–1650.
- 2010
- Working Paper
Prosocial Spending and Well-Being: Cross-Cultural Evidence for a Psychological Universal
By: Lara B. Aknin, Christopher P. Barrington-Leigh, Elizabeth W. Dunn, John F. Helliwell, Robert Biswas-Diener, Imelda Kemeza, Paul Nyende, Claire Ashton-James and Michael I. Norton
This research provides the first support for a possible psychological universal: human beings around the world derive emotional benefits from using their financial resources to help others (prosocial spending). Analyzing survey data from 136 countries, we show that... View Details
Keywords: Spending; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Happiness; Motivation and Incentives; Welfare; Uganda; Canada
Aknin, Lara B., Christopher P. Barrington-Leigh, Elizabeth W. Dunn, John F. Helliwell, Robert Biswas-Diener, Imelda Kemeza, Paul Nyende, Claire Ashton-James, and Michael I. Norton. "Prosocial Spending and Well-Being: Cross-Cultural Evidence for a Psychological Universal." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 11-038, September 2010.
- Article
Common Variants of the Oxytocin Receptor Gene Do Not Predict the Positive Mood Benefits of Prosocial Spending
By: Ashley V. Whillans, Lara B. Aknin, Colin Ross, Lihan Chen and Frances S. Chen
Who benefits most from helping others? Previous research suggests that common polymorphisms of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) predict whether people behave generously and experience increases in positive mood in response to socially-focused experiences in daily... View Details
Keywords: Prosocial Behavior; Positivity; Behavior Genetics; Individual Differences; Behavior; Emotions; Genetics; Spending
Whillans, Ashley V., Lara B. Aknin, Colin Ross, Lihan Chen, and Frances S. Chen. "Common Variants of the Oxytocin Receptor Gene Do Not Predict the Positive Mood Benefits of Prosocial Spending." Emotion 20, no. 5 (August 2020): 734–749.
- December 2022
- Article
The Emotional Rewards of Prosocial Spending Are Robust and Replicable in Large Samples
By: Lara B. Aknin, Elizabeth W. Dunn and Ashley V. Whillans
Past studies show that spending money on other people—prosocial spending—increases a person’s happiness. However, foundational research on this topic was conducted prior to psychology’s credibility revolution (or “replication crisis”), so it is essential to ask... View Details
Aknin, Lara B., Elizabeth W. Dunn, and Ashley V. Whillans. "The Emotional Rewards of Prosocial Spending Are Robust and Replicable in Large Samples." Current Directions in Psychological Science 31, no. 6 (December 2022): 536–545.
- 15 Jan 2016
- Working Paper Summaries
Incentives for Prosocial Behavior: The Role of Reputations
Keywords: by Christine L. Exley
- Article
Prosocial Spending and Buying Time: Money as a Tool for Increasing Subjective Well-Being
By: Elizabeth Dunn, A.V. Whillans, Michael I. Norton and Lara B. Aknin
Researchers have long been interested in the relationship between income and happiness, but a newer wave of work suggests that how people use their money also matters. We discuss the three primary areas in which psychologists have explored the relationship... View Details
Dunn, Elizabeth, A.V. Whillans, Michael I. Norton, and Lara B. Aknin. "Prosocial Spending and Buying Time: Money as a Tool for Increasing Subjective Well-Being." Advances in Experimental Social Psychology 61 (2020): 67–126.
- August 2011
- Article
The Jekyll and Hyde of Emotional Intelligence: Emotion-Regulation Knowledge Facilitates Prosocial and Interpersonally Deviant Behavior
By: Stéphane Côté, K. A. DeCelles, Julie M. McCarthy, Gerben A. Van Kleef and Ivona Hideg
Does emotional intelligence promote behavior that strictly benefits the greater good, or can it also advance interpersonal deviance? In the investigation reported here, we tested the possibility that a core facet of emotional intelligence—emotion-regulation... View Details
Côté, Stéphane, K. A. DeCelles, Julie M. McCarthy, Gerben A. Van Kleef, and Ivona Hideg. "The Jekyll and Hyde of Emotional Intelligence: Emotion-Regulation Knowledge Facilitates Prosocial and Interpersonally Deviant Behavior." Psychological Science 22, no. 8 (August 2011): 1073–1080.
- July 2015
- Article
Prosocial Norms in the Classroom: The Role of Self-regulation in Following Norms of Giving
By: P. R. Blake, M. Piovesan, N. Montinari, F. Werneken and F. Gino
Children who are prosocial in elementary school tend to have higher academic achievement and experience greater acceptance by their peers in adolescence. Despite this positive influence on educational outcomes, it is still unclear why some children are more prosocial... View Details
Blake, P. R., M. Piovesan, N. Montinari, F. Werneken, and F. Gino. "Prosocial Norms in the Classroom: The Role of Self-regulation in Following Norms of Giving." Special Issue on Behavioral Economics of Education. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 115 (July 2015): 18–29.
- 27 Oct 2010
- Working Paper Summaries
Prosocial Spending and Well-Being: Cross-Cultural Evidence for a Psychological Universal
- Article
Memory Lane and Morality: How Childhood Memories Promote Prosocial Behavior
By: F. Gino and S. Desai
Four experiments demonstrated that recalling memories from one's own childhood lead people to experience feelings of moral purity and to behave prosocially. In Experiment 1, participants instructed to recall memories from their childhood were more likely to help the... View Details
Gino, F., and S. Desai. "Memory Lane and Morality: How Childhood Memories Promote Prosocial Behavior." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 102, no. 4 (April 2012): 743–758.
- May 2013
- Article
Here's a Tip: Prosocial Gratuities Are Linked to Corruption
By: Magnus Thor Torfason, Francis J. Flynn and Daniella Kupor
We investigated the link between tipping, an altruistic act, and bribery, an immoral act. We found a positive relationship between these two seemingly unrelated behaviors, using archival cross-national data for 32 countries, and controlling for per capita GDP, income... View Details
Torfason, Magnus Thor, Francis J. Flynn, and Daniella Kupor. "Here's a Tip: Prosocial Gratuities Are Linked to Corruption." Social Psychological & Personality Science 4, no. 3 (May 2013): 348–354.
- 2013
- Article
Does Social Connection Turn Good Deeds into Good Feelings? On the Value of Putting the 'Social' in Prosocial Spending
By: Lara B. Aknin, Elizabeth W. Dunn, Gillian M. Sandstrom and Michael I. Norton
When are the emotional benefits of generous behavior most likely to emerge? In three studies, we demonstrate that the hedonic benefits of generous spending are most likely when spending promotes positive social connection. Study 1 shows that people feel happier after... View Details
Keywords: Money; Prosocial Spending; Social Connection; Well-being; Donations; Charitable Giving; Warm Glow; Social Relationships; Gift Giving; Happiness; Relationships; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Society
Aknin, Lara B., Elizabeth W. Dunn, Gillian M. Sandstrom, and Michael I. Norton. "Does Social Connection Turn Good Deeds into Good Feelings? On the Value of Putting the 'Social' in Prosocial Spending." International Journal of Happiness and Development 1, no. 2 (2013): 155–171.
- 08 Mar 2011
- Working Paper Summaries
Memory Lane and Morality: How Childhood Memories Promote Prosocial Behavior
Keywords: by Francesca Gino & Sreedhari D. Desai
- 2011
- Working Paper
Memory Lane and Morality: How Childhood Memories Promote Prosocial Behavior
By: Francesca Gino and Sreedhari D. Desai
Four experiments demonstrated that recalling memories from one's own childhood lead people to experience feelings of moral purity and to behave prosocially. In Experiment 1, participants instructed to recall memories from their childhood were more likely to help the... View Details
Keywords: Judgments; Moral Sensibility; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Organizational Culture; Behavior; Emotions; Personal Characteristics; Welfare
Gino, Francesca, and Sreedhari D. Desai. "Memory Lane and Morality: How Childhood Memories Promote Prosocial Behavior." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 11-079, February 2011.
- 2022
- Working Paper
Beliefs About Giving Across Contexts
By: Christine L. Exley, John-Henry Pezzuto and Marta Serra-Garcia
A rich literature investigates prosocial behavior by exploiting a variety of methods, the validity of which has been debated. While this literature has compared behavior inside and outside of the laboratory, an open question is how participants view prosocial behavior... View Details
Exley, Christine L., John-Henry Pezzuto, and Marta Serra-Garcia. "Beliefs About Giving Across Contexts." Working Paper, September 2022.
- May–June 2017
- Article
Multiple Identity Configurations: The Benefits of Focused Enhancement for Prosocial Behavior
By: Lakshmi Ramarajan, Ida Berger and Itay Greenspan
Ramarajan, Lakshmi, Ida Berger, and Itay Greenspan. "Multiple Identity Configurations: The Benefits of Focused Enhancement for Prosocial Behavior." Organization Science 28, no. 3 (May–June 2017): 495–513.
- 2018
- Working Paper
Ethical Hedonism? How Consumers' Prosocial Behavior Varies Along the Utilitarian-Hedonic Product Spectrum: Evidence from a Survey Experiment
By: Kristin Sippl
The marketing literature classifies products along a spectrum from utilitarian (e.g. rice) to hedonic (e.g. cannabis), and additionally using terms such as “luxury” and “illicit.” Research in business ethics has proposed a counter-intuitive mismatch between ethics and... View Details
Sippl, Kristin. "Ethical Hedonism? How Consumers' Prosocial Behavior Varies Along the Utilitarian-Hedonic Product Spectrum: Evidence from a Survey Experiment." Working Paper, September 2018. (Work in Progress.)