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Aging, Empathy, and Prosocial Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Previous literature suggests age-related increases in prosociality. Does such an age-prosociality relationship occur during the COVID-19 pandemic, or might the pandemic-as a stressor that may differently influence young and older adults- create a boundary condition on the relationship? If so, can empathy, a well-known prosocial disposition, explain the age-prosociality relationship? The present study investigated these questions and whether the target (distant- compared to close-others) of prosocial behaviors differs by age.

Method

Participants completed a series of surveys on dispositional empathy and prosocial behaviors for a study assessing their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were 330 participants (ages 18-89) from the USA who completed all of the surveys included in the present analyses.

Results

Age was positively related to greater prosocial during the pandemic. Although empathy was positively associated with individuals' prosociality, it did not account for the age-prosociality association. Interestingly, increasing age was associated with greater prosocial behaviors towards close-others (i.e., family, friends).

Discussion

Results are discussed in the context of socioemotional goals, and substantiate that findings of age differences in prosocial behaviors occur during the period of limited resources and threat associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

SUBMITTER: Cho I

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8411378 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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