HUSCAP logo Hokkaido Univ. logo

Hokkaido University Collection of Scholarly and Academic Papers >
Theses >
博士 (人間科学) >

HOW DOES SOCIAL ECOLOGY SHAPE PEOPLE'S TENDENCY TO CONCEAL PROSOCIAL BEHAVIORS? THE ROLE OF RELATIONAL MOBILITY

Files in This Item:
Wenqiao_Li.pdf2.15 MBPDFView/Open
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:https://doi.org/10.14943/doctoral.k15061
Related Items in HUSCAP:

Title: HOW DOES SOCIAL ECOLOGY SHAPE PEOPLE'S TENDENCY TO CONCEAL PROSOCIAL BEHAVIORS? THE ROLE OF RELATIONAL MOBILITY
Other Titles: 社会生態はどのように向社会的行動の秘匿傾向を形成するのか?関係流動性の役割に関する検討
Authors: 李, 文ショウ Browse this author
Issue Date: 24-Mar-2022
Publisher: Hokkaido University
Abstract: In this research, I investigated how characteristics of a social environment influence individuals’ active concealment of prosocial behaviors. I hypothesized that lower relational mobility would be associated with a stronger expectation of negative reputation and a weaker expectation of positive reputation following publicized prosocial behaviors, which, in turn, would be related to a higher tendency to conceal prosocial behaviors among individuals. I conducted five studies to test the hypothesis, and the findings supported my hypothesis in general. Studies 1 and 2 were within-country studies. In Study 1, 269 Chinese participants read a hypothetical disaster donation scenario and indicated whether they would choose to conceal their donations. The results showed that lower perceived relational mobility was associated with a less positive (more negative) expected reputation following publicized prosocial behaviors, which, in turn, predicted a higher tendency to conceal prosocial behaviors. In Study 2, I extended Study 1 by differentiating positive versus negative expected reputation. In this study, 281 Chinese participants read a hypothetical ingroup donation scenario and indicated the likelihood of concealing the donation. I found that negative expected reputation, but not positive expected reputation, significantly mediated the association between relational mobility and individuals’ tendency to conceal prosocial behaviors. Study 3 was a cross-cultural study. In this study, I recruited 237 Japanese participants and 241 American participants to complete similar measures as in Study 2, except that I added the measure of concealing donation in real life to test the ecological validity of the findings. Regarding concealing donation in the hypothetical scenario, the results showed that the lower relational mobility in Japan compared to the United States was associated with the expectation of a less positive and more negative reputation following publicized donation, which, in turn, predicted a higher likelihood of concealing donation. Regarding concealing donation in real life, the results revealed that Japanese participants were more likely than American participants to donate anonymously and less likely to tell others about their donations in real life. Moreover, the cultural difference of whether telling others about one’s donation in real life was explained by lower relational mobility in Japan. Study 4 and Study 5 were experiments in which I tested the causal relation between relational mobility and individuals’ tendency to conceal prosocial behaviors. In Study 4, I manipulated people’s perceptions of relational mobility using a popular manipulation paradigm, which emphasized the instability (stability) of interpersonal relationships in high (low) relational mobility conditions. 243 American participants finished the manipulation task and completed a similar measure of concealing prosocial behaviors as in Study 1. However, the results did not support the hypothesis. In Study 5, I used new manipulation materials for people’s perceptions of relational mobility, which emphasized high (low) relational choice in high (low) relational mobility conditions. 192 American participants completed the manipulation task and then finished the measure of concealing prosocial behaviors in a hypothetical donation scenario. I found that the manipulation of low (vs. high) relational mobility induced a more negative expected reputation following publicized prosocial behaviors, which, in turn, increased individuals’ likelihood of concealing prosocial behaviors. The findings of this research highlight that social ecology plays an important role in shaping individuals’ active concealment of prosociality. Moreover, the findings suggest that anonymous prosocial acts may not always be driven by altruistic motivations but may also arise from egocentric motivations to avoid bad reputations.
Conffering University: 北海道大学
Degree Report Number: 甲第15061号
Degree Level: 博士
Degree Discipline: 人間科学
Examination Committee Members: (主査) 教授 結城 雅樹, 准教授 竹澤 正哲, 教授 安達 真由美
Degree Affiliation: 文学院(人間科学専攻)
Type: theses (doctoral)
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2115/88975
Appears in Collections:課程博士 (Doctorate by way of Advanced Course) > 文学院(Graduate School of Humanities and Human Sciences)
学位論文 (Theses) > 博士 (人間科学)

Export metadata:

OAI-PMH ( junii2 , jpcoar_1.0 )

MathJax is now OFF:


 

 - Hokkaido University