Abstract
Two studies investigated the relationship between frequency of performing prosocial acts and subjective well-being. Adult participants from three countries (Japan, Romania, and the US) responded to online questionnaires measuring focal variables. In Study 1, a short scale measuring kindness was devised, and its validity for cross-cultural research was probed. Results revealed that engagement in prosocial behavior was positively associated with empathic concern and subjective well-being. Study 2 showed that the needs for relatedness, competence, and autonomy mediate the relationship between frequency of performing acts of kindness and subjective well-being. The results contribute to the cross-cultural literature suggesting that engagement in prosocial behavior enhances the well-being of the benefactor.
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Acknowledgements
This research was supported by Grant-in-aid for Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellow number JP18J13021 to Claudia Gherghel. The authors would like to thank Daisuke Akamatsu (Nagoya University) for assistance with material translation.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committee (Nagoya University Ethical Review Board approval number 18–1179) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Gherghel, C., Nastas, D., Hashimoto, T. et al. The relationship between frequency of performing acts of kindness and subjective well-being: A mediation model in three cultures. Curr Psychol 40, 4446–4459 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00391-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00391-x