Prosocial Tendencies and Psychological Satisfaction

Prosocial Tendencies and Psychological Satisfaction

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Summary

The article under analysis discusses prosocial behavior and subjective well-being. The analysis is based on the Subjective Determination Theory (SDT), which states that the motivation of human beings is led by three factors; competence, autonomy and relatedness (Feng & Zhang, 2021). In regard to these, the authors argue that prosocial behavior is also associated with subjective well-being. How much an individual feels fulfilled after engaging in an act of being helpful to others depends on how they approached pro social behavior. For instance, some individuals may prefer autonomy which is being helpful to others without revealing one’s identity. In either of the mentioned types of prosocial behavior, the one dominant outcome was that individuals who engage in the activity tend to feel more fulfilled than those who do not. This is where subjective well-being applies, since it involves assessing the extent to which an individual feels satisfied with oneself. In regard to the above, the authors set three questions for hypothesis. First, they sought to examine how positively prosocial tendencies are associated with subjective well-being (Feng & Zhang, 2021). Second, they examined how the three factors (competence, autonomy and relatedness) help meditate the association between subjective well-being and prosocial habits. Lastly, they also sought to assess the impact of relatedness in the association between prosocial habits and subjective well being and compare it to that of autonomy and competence.

Discussion

From the articles, the authors argue that prosocial behavior has previously been proven as a means to motivating self-satisfaction. Essentially, prosocial behavior is defined as acts meant to benefit others or society as a whole (Feng & Zhang, 2021). This indicates that prosocial behavior is closely related to kindness. Previous literature indicates that individuals who engage in kind acts tend to have more fulfilled or satisfied lives. Prosocial behavior is known to have positive outcomes, both physically and psychologically such as lower stress levels. In addition, psychological fulfillment is demonstrated by positive outcomes in competence and relatedness as dictated by the SDT theory. In their study, the authors acknowledge this observation from previous studies.

To further assess their hypotheses, the authors conduct a study on 1106 participants of Chinese origin. Of these participants, 611 are men while 495 are women. The age range of the participants is between 30-60 years, with an education range oscillating between middle school and college level. Some of the participants were employed in white-collar vocations while others were either in the agricultural sector or under the umbrella of unskilled workers (Feng & Zhang, 2021). The participants were selected randomly from an online platform in Shandong Province, Eastern China. The data gathered was acquired through questions revolving around their daily life experiences and beliefs. The factors that were being assessed included subjective well-being and the satisfaction of basic psychological needs. These were assessed through a scale where the participants were required to fill based on how well or badly prosocial habits brought satisfaction to their lives, (on the basis of the three concepts