Agency‐Communion and Interest in Prosocial Behavior: Social Motives for Assimilation and Contrast Explain Sociocultural Inconsistencies

Abstract

Identifying the "prosocial personality" is a classic project in personality psychology. However, personality traits have been elusive predictors of prosocial behavior, with personality-prosociality relations varying widely across sociocultural contexts. We propose the social motives perspective to account for such sociocultural inconsistencies. According to this perspective, a focal quality of agency (e.g., competence, independence, openness) is the motive to swim against the social tide-agentic social contrast. Conversely, a focal quality of communion (e.g., warmth, interdependence, agreeableness) is the motive to swim with the social tide-communal social assimilation. We report two cross-sectional studies. Study 1 (N = 131,562) defined social context at the country level (11 European countries), whereas Study 2 (N = 56,395) defined it at the country level (11 European countries) and the city level (296 cities within these countries). Communion predicted interest in prosocial behavior comparatively strongly in sociocultural contexts where such interest was common and comparatively weakly where such interest was uncommon. Agency predicted interest in prosocial behavior comparatively strongly in sociocultural contexts where such interest was uncommon and comparatively weakly where such interest was common. The results supported the social motives perspective. Also, the findings help to reestablish the importance of personality for understanding prosociality.

Individual self > relational self > collective self—But why? Processes driving the self‐hierarchy in self‐ and person perception

“…Wiggins (1991, p. 89) highlighted the link between agency and unique self-aspects (i.e., individual self) in his definition of agency: "Agency refers to the condition of being a differentiated individual." Evidence indicates that agency stimulates strivings for uniqueness expressed in terms of contrasting from ambient sociocultural norms: Agentic people adhere to unique beliefs (Gebauer, Paulhus, & Neberich, 2013), predilections (Gebauer, Leary, & Neberich, 2012), and behavioral intentions (Gebauer, Sedikides, L€ udtke, & Neberich, 2014).…”

“…At the same time, the literature suggests that the relational and collective selves are less agentic in content, but more communal. Wiggins (, p. 89) also emphasized the link between communion and interpersonally shared self‐aspects (i.e., relational and collective selves) in his definition of communion: “Communion refers to the condition of being part of a larger social or spiritual entity.” Evidence indicates that communion stimulates strivings for similarity expressed in terms of assimilating toward sociocultural norms: Communal people adhere to commonly shared beliefs, predilections, and behavioral intentions (Gebauer et al, ).…”

Christian self-enhancement.

“…God-abidingness promotes prosociality (Shariff & Norenzayan, 2007 and so does communion (Gebauer, Sedikides, Lüdtke, & Neberich, 2014;Nehrlich, Gebauer, Sedikides, & Schoel, 2017). Taken together, it is self-profitable to have God-abiding and communal ingroup members.…”

Adolescent Communal Narcissism and Peer Perceptions

“…Individuals with a communal orientation may be drawn to pro‐social behavior because it allows them to express positive connectedness to others (Gebauer, Sedikides, Lüdtke, & Neberich, ). However, when a communal orientation includes narcissism, pro‐social behavior may be simply a conduit through which one obtains positive reflections of oneself.…”

“…Therefore, larger, more diverse, and more representative samples (e.g., community) are needed to provide further understanding of the behavioral and social factors associated with communal narcissism in adolescents, as the findings in this initial study may apply only to our particular at‐risk sample. Cultural context may also play a role in the relative value of agentic and communal orientations and grandiosity in these domains (Gebauer et al, ).…”