A revised prosocial behavior game: Testing associations with psychopathic traits and the effects of moral elevation using a randomized clinical trial

Background: Prosocial behavior is negatively associated with psychopathic traits and paradigms which measure prosocial behavior in the laboratory may be useful in better understanding moderators of this association. Methods: We revised a previously validated game of prosocial behavior by including a new trial type (i.e., trials where the participant will lose money and the charity will gain money). This version of the game was administered online and participants were randomized to group (exposed to a control stimulus video or a video used to elicit moral elevation, i.e. a positive response to witnessing another’s act of kindness). We used repeated game administration to test whether a moral elevation stimulus affected game behavior and moderated the negative association between psychopathic traits and prosocial behavior. Results: Prosocial behavior on the new trial types added in this revised game correlated strongly with prosocial behavior on the old trial type (i.e., trials where the participant will gain money and the charity will lose money; r = 0.71; p-value