IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jhappi/v24y2023i1d10.1007_s10902-022-00579-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Personal Relative Deprivation Reduces the Meaningfulness of Engaging in Prosocial Behavior (7,756 Words)

Author

Listed:
  • Hong Zhang

    (Nanjing University)

  • Yongle Ding

    (Nanjing University)

  • Li Wei

    (Nanjing University)

  • Wenting Zhang

    (Nanjing University)

Abstract

Engaging in prosocial behavior promotes well-being. Yet, this effect may depend on many factors. We reported three studies (total N = 873) examined whether individuals higher on relative deprivation would experience lower meaning after prosocial engagement in samples of Chinese university students. Study 1 showed that although individuals who scored higher on a relative deprivation scale were more likely to engage in prosocical behavior, they reported lower levels of self-concordance of the behavior and lower post-behavior meaning in life. Studies 2 and 3 replicated these findings with experimentally-induced relative deprivation and different types of prosocial behavior, and also provided preliminary evidence on the mediating role of social connection in the relationship between relative deprivation and meaning of prosocial engagement. These findings have significant implications for our understanding of the heterogeneous impact of prosocial behavior on well-being, as well as the insidious consequences of relative deprivation.

Suggested Citation

  • Hong Zhang & Yongle Ding & Li Wei & Wenting Zhang, 2023. "Personal Relative Deprivation Reduces the Meaningfulness of Engaging in Prosocial Behavior (7,756 Words)," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 35-56, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:24:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s10902-022-00579-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-022-00579-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10902-022-00579-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10902-022-00579-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ana I. Balsa & Michael T. French & Tracy L. Regan, 2014. "Relative Deprivation and Risky Behaviors," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 49(2), pages 446-471.
    2. Lara Aknin & Elizabeth Dunn & Michael Norton, 2012. "Happiness Runs in a Circular Motion: Evidence for a Positive Feedback Loop between Prosocial Spending and Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 347-355, April.
    3. Lara B. Aknin & Elizabeth W. Dunn & Gillian M. Sandstrom & Michael I. Norton, 2013. "Does social connection turn good deeds into good feelings? On the value of putting the 'social' in prosocial spending," International Journal of Happiness and Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 1(2), pages 155-171.
    4. Hong Zhang & Jiawei Zhu & Li Wei & Wenting Zhang, 2021. "A Comparison between the Psychological Benefits of Giving Money vs. Giving Time," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(6), pages 2677-2701, August.
    5. Armin Falk & Thomas Graeber, 2020. "Delayed negative effects of prosocial spending on happiness," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 117(12), pages 6463-6468, March.
    6. Bagwell, Laurie Simon & Bernheim, B Douglas, 1996. "Veblen Effects in a Theory of Conspicuous Consumption," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(3), pages 349-373, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wang, Xia & Tong, Luqiong, 2015. "Hide the light or let it shine? Examining the factors influencing the effect of publicizing donations on donors’ happiness," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 418-424.
    2. Masaki Iwasaki, 2023. "Social preferences and well-being: theory and evidence," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Hong Zhang & Jiawei Zhu & Li Wei & Wenting Zhang, 2021. "A Comparison between the Psychological Benefits of Giving Money vs. Giving Time," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(6), pages 2677-2701, August.
    4. Wuke Zhang & Mingliang Chen & Ying Xie & Zhen Zhao, 2018. "Prosocial Spending and Subjective Well-Being: The Recipient Perspective," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(8), pages 2267-2281, December.
    5. Palma, Marco A. & Ness, Meghan L. & Anderson, David P., 2015. "Buying More than Taste? A Latent Class Analysis of Health and Prestige Determinants of Healthy Food," 2015 Conference (59th), February 10-13, 2015, Rotorua, New Zealand 202566, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    6. Truong, Yann & McColl, Rod, 2011. "Intrinsic motivations, self-esteem, and luxury goods consumption," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 555-561.
    7. Rosenbaum, Mark S. & Ramirez, Germán Contreras & Campbell, Jeffrey & Klaus, Philipp, 2021. "The product is me: Hyper-personalized consumer goods as unconventional luxury," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 446-454.
    8. Leive, Adam, 2018. "Dying to win? Olympic Gold medals and longevity," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 193-204.
    9. Keval Amin & Erica Harris, 2022. "The Effect of Investor Sentiment on Nonprofit Donations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 175(2), pages 427-450, January.
    10. Stefan Buehler & Daniel Halbheer, 2011. "Selling when Brand Image Matters," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 167(1), pages 102-118, March.
    11. Celse, Jeremy & Karakostas, Alexandros & Zizzo, Daniel John, 2023. "Relative risk taking and social curiosity," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 243-264.
    12. Rajan, Raghuram G. & Wulf, Julie, 2006. "Are perks purely managerial excess?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(1), pages 1-33, January.
    13. Chorus, Caspar & van Cranenburgh, Sander & Daniel, Aemiro Melkamu & Sandorf, Erlend Dancke & Sobhani, Anae & Szép, Teodóra, 2021. "Obfuscation maximization-based decision-making: Theory, methodology and first empirical evidence," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 28-44.
    14. Bernheim, B Douglas, 1994. "A Theory of Conformity," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 102(5), pages 841-877, October.
    15. Dolan, Paul & Krekel, Christian & Shreedhar, Ganga & Lee, Helen & Marshall, Claire & Smith, Allison, 2021. "Happy to help: the welfare effects of a nationwide micro-volunteering programme," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 114387, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    16. Heffner, Reid R., 2007. "Semiotics and Advanced Vehicles: What Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) Mean and Why it Matters to Consumers," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt9mw1t4w3, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    17. Khamis, Melanie & Prakash, Nishith & Siddique, Zahra, 2012. "Consumption and social identity: Evidence from India," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 83(3), pages 353-371.
    18. Stark, Oded, 2021. "Why reducing relative deprivation but not reducing income inequality might bring down COVID-19 infections," Journal of Government and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 4(C).
    19. Yohanes E. Riyanto & Jianlin Zhang, 2016. "Putting a price tag on others’ perceptions of us," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 19(2), pages 480-499, June.
    20. INOUE Atsushi & TANAKA Ryuichi, 2023. "The Rank of Socioeconomic Status within a Class and the Incidence of School Bullying and School Absence," Discussion papers 23003, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:24:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s10902-022-00579-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.