Universität zu Köln

Hellmann, Dshamilja Marie, Dorrough, Angela Rachael and Glockner, Andreas ORCID: 0000-0002-7766-4791 (2021). Prosocial behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. The role of responsibility and vulnerability. Heliyon, 7 (9). OXFORD: ELSEVIER SCI LTD. ISSN 2405-8440

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Abstract

In two pre-registered and fully incentivized studies (N = 501), we investigate prosocial behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Based on a comparison with pre-pandemic data, Study 1 shows that individuals' general prosociality measured with a (context-independent) Social Value Orientation Slider changed significantly before vs. during the early stage of the pandemic towards increased prosociality. In addition, we identified pandemic-specific context factors for prosocial behavior measured by a series of Dictator games with different recipients. Allocations in the Dictator game increased with the giver's responsibility and the recipients' vulnerability to the virus. Study 2 replicates and extends this finding in a sample representative for the adult German population in terms of age and gender. We show that, for different actors (self, recipient, politicians), different dimensions of responsibility (responsibility to help, responsibility for the problem cause, and for the solution) are associated with prosocial behavior. Contrary to what could be expected from diffusion of responsibility, prosocial behavior increased not only when individuals themselves felt responsible to help but also when they perceived politicians to be responsible to help. Assigning responsibility for the cause of the COVID-19 crisis to recipients and politicians was associated with a decrease in prosocial behavior. However, responsibility for the solution had no influence. We discuss implications for public policies.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Hellmann, Dshamilja Marie UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Dorrough, Angela Rachael UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Glockner, Andreas UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-7766-4791 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-572909
DOI:	10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08041
Journal or Publication Title:	Heliyon
Volume:	7
Number:	9
Date:	2021
Publisher:	ELSEVIER SCI LTD
Place of Publication:	OXFORD
ISSN:	2405-8440
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language SOCIAL VALUE ORIENTATION; HELPING-BEHAVIOR; PERSONALITY; PERSPECTIVE; OPINION; EMPATHY; TRAITS; IMPACT; GAMES; MODEL Multiple languages Multidisciplinary Sciences Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/57290