HOW TO BE PROSOCIAL ACTORS ON THE WORLD STAGE : MindsetOpediaNPWC Blogs

PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOUR: HOW TO BE PROSOCIAL ACTORS ON THE

WORLD STAGE 

By, (Council Members) Ananya Sehgal, Arushi Suri & Shruti Bansal

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WHAT IS PRO SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR?

Prosocial behaviour is an action taken voluntarily with the intention of helping another.

Therefore, it encompasses actions like lending a hand, sharing, or comforting someone else.

Young children exhibit prosocial behaviour, but as they get older, the frequency and

presentation of this behaviour alter.

Prosocial behaviour varies between people for a variety of reasons that include heredity,

socialization, and environmental factors. Prosocial behaviours can be carried out for a range

of motives, from selfish and manipulative motives (e.g., helping to obtain something in

return) to moral and other-oriented motives (e.g., helping out of sympathy for another

person, predicament or moral beliefs). 

‘Altruism’ is the term used to describe prosocial behaviour that is carried out of care for

another person or moral principles rather than for financial or social incentives (such as praise or prizes).

While prosocial behavior is often presented as a single, uniform dimension, research suggests that there are different types. These types are distinguished based on why they are produced and include:

• Proactive : These are prosocial actions that serve self-benefitting purposes.

• Reactive : These are actions that are performed in response to individual needs.

• Altruistic : These include actions that are meant to help others without an expectations of personal gain. 

INSTANCES OF PROSOCIAL ACTIVITY IN THE ACTUAL WORLD!

• PROACTIVE ILLUSTRATION

An instance of displaying proactive behavior would be if Employee A wrapped up his work

early and supported Employee Z, who sits next to their supervisor, with his work, not with

the intention of reinforcing the spirit of being a team player but rather with an eye towards

gaining promotion and advancing his career.

• REACTIVE ILLUSTRATION

A classic instance of reactive behavior would be if batchmate , who lives nearby to their

alma mater as contrasted to batchmate , who lives further afield, voluntarily collects

batchmates, official documents and delivers them in person considering batchmate

requires them in order to complete an imminent application and they are currently unfit to

travel long distances due to health concerns.

• ALTRUISTIC ILLUSTRATION

A fine instance of altruistic behavior would be if child , who comes from a stable family,

observes child P, who comes from a family that is experiencing difficulties to make ends

meet, taking a bath from the tap without using soap, and immediately communicates with his parents about it. With their help, child then gets soap and snacks for child since he is

worried that if child fails to utilize soap, which is effective in lifting disease-causing germs

from the skin, then he will be potentially vulnerable to various kinds of infections. 

ENHANCING PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

Prosocial behaviour benefits the giver, the receiver, society, and humanity as a whole. From

complimenting someone to providing them with resources they might require, there are an

uncountable number of opportunities to practice prosocial behaviour in our day-to-day lives.

WAYS TO ENHANCE PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

Improving empathic skills - Our ability to place ourselves into the other person’s position and our ability to see situations from their perspective is what we term our ‘empathic ability’. Some proportion of it comes naturally to all of us as social beings but it is also an acquirable skill. We can learn or enhance it through practice. Being empathic also means being able to gauge others’ feelings and needs. This is how empathy boosts prosocial behaviour. If we can really stand in someone else’s position and see the world through their glasses, we can tell what might benefit them and that pushes us to do something for them in whatever way possible.

Don’t think twice before doing something good - I’ve grown up hearing that one shouldn’t think twice before doing something good but pause and give it a thought before doing something that might cause harm. Holding this thought in our hearts and recalling it often, helps us to enhance our prosocial actions. When we look at someone in the street who might need help, someone who needs food, or someone who is struggling with a task, the thought of helping them often crosses our mind but because of prolonged thought on it, we let that opportunity go. Instead, we can repeat the thought of “not

thinking twice”. Next time you see someone looking beautiful, compliment them or do a task well, let them know that they’re doing well, looking in need of something, and be the first to help. Don’t think twice before performing a good deed.

Acknowledge other prosocial actors - We all grow by getting advice but we also grow through appreciation and acknowledgment.

Make it a point to appreciate when you see someone engaging in any kind of prosocial

behaviour. Reinforcing such behaviour makes it more likely for that person to repeat the

behaviour and inspires other witnesses to also attempt it.

No matter how big or small our actions might be, their impact on the other person’s life will

be considerably larger than we might evaluate it to be. Hence, let us see these moments as

opportunities to act in ways that benefit others. With every opportunity, feel grateful that

you’ve been put in a position of being able to contribute to the larger good.

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