Individuals With Upward Social Mobility Show Greater Prosocial Willingness and Behavior

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between social mobility and prosocial behavior through two empirical studies. A survey (N = 348) in Study 1 found that individuals experiencing upward social mobility (i.e., objective income upward mobility) exhibited a heightened willingness to engage in prosocial behaviors. Furthermore, the pursuit of authenticity self was identified as a mediating factor in the relationship between upward social mobility and prosocial willingness. In Study 2, a laboratory experiment (N = 159) manipulated perceptions of social mobility and utilized a money allocation task to assess prosocial behavior. The findings showed that individuals who perceived upward social mobility allocated significantly more money to others than those in stationary high or low positions, with no significant difference in allocations between the stationary high and low groups. Collectively, these studies suggest a consistent pattern in which individuals experiencing upward social mobility are more likely to engage in prosocial behavior.