2020/08/06 by Lara B. Aknin, Ashley V. Whillans · 1 citation
Psychology · #Behavioral Health and Interventions #Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion #Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction #Happiness #Prosocial behavior #Pleasure #Leverage (statistics) #Psychology #Social psychology #Donation #Action (physics) #Political science #Law
paper · doi:10.1111/sipr.12069
openalex publication_date 2020/08/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/17
Abstract Perhaps one of the most reaffirming findings to emerge over the past several decades is that humans not only engage in generous behavior, they also appear to experience pleasure from doing so. Yet not all acts of helping lead to greater happiness. Here, we review the growing body of evidence showing that people engage in a wide array of prosocial behaviors (e.g., charitable giving, volunteering, blood/organ donation, offering advice, food sharing) which can promote positive emotions. Then, using self‐determination theory, a foundational theory of human motivation, we consider when and how generous actions are most likely to boost the helper's happiness—and when they are not. Finally, we leverage these insights to consider how public policy and organizations can apply this information to make prosocial action more emotionally rewarding for citizens and employees alike.