Sidestepping the rock and the hard place: The private avoidance of prosocial requests

For some, facing a prosocial request feels like being trapped between a rock and a hard place, requiring either a resource (e.g., money) or psychological (e.g., self-reproach) cost. Because both outcomes are dissatisfying, we propose that these people are motivated to avoid prosocial requests, even...

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Main Authors: LIN, Stephanie C., SCHAUMBERG, Rebecca L., REICH, Taly
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Language:English
Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2016
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Online Access:https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/5260
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/6259/viewcontent/SideSteppingRoackhardPlace_2016.pdf
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spelling sg-smu-ink.lkcsb_research-62592021-03-12T07:06:29Z Sidestepping the rock and the hard place: The private avoidance of prosocial requests LIN, Stephanie C. SCHAUMBERG, Rebecca L. REICH, Taly For some, facing a prosocial request feels like being trapped between a rock and a hard place, requiring either a resource (e.g., money) or psychological (e.g., self-reproach) cost. Because both outcomes are dissatisfying, we propose that these people are motivated to avoid prosocial requests, even when they face these requests in private, anonymous contexts. In two experiments, in which participants' anonymity and privacy was assured, participants avoided facing prosocial requests and were willing to do so at a personal cost. This was true both for people who would have otherwise complied with the request and those who would have otherwise refused the request. This suggests that anticipatory self-reproach motivates people to avoid prosocial requests, regardless of whether or not this self-reproach would have been strong enough to cause them to comply with a direct request. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings for prosocial behavior and the maintenance of moral self-regard. 2016-05-01T07:00:00Z text application/pdf https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/5260 info:doi/10.1016/j.jesp.2016.01.011 https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/6259/viewcontent/SideSteppingRoackhardPlace_2016.pdf Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business eng Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University Prosocial behavior Self-interest Morality Decision making Avoidance Marketing Psychology
institution Singapore Management University
building SMU Libraries
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider SMU Libraries
collection InK@SMU
language English
topic Prosocial behavior
Self-interest
Morality
Decision making
Avoidance
Marketing
Psychology
spellingShingle Prosocial behavior
Self-interest
Morality
Decision making
Avoidance
Marketing
Psychology
LIN, Stephanie C.
SCHAUMBERG, Rebecca L.
REICH, Taly
Sidestepping the rock and the hard place: The private avoidance of prosocial requests
description For some, facing a prosocial request feels like being trapped between a rock and a hard place, requiring either a resource (e.g., money) or psychological (e.g., self-reproach) cost. Because both outcomes are dissatisfying, we propose that these people are motivated to avoid prosocial requests, even when they face these requests in private, anonymous contexts. In two experiments, in which participants' anonymity and privacy was assured, participants avoided facing prosocial requests and were willing to do so at a personal cost. This was true both for people who would have otherwise complied with the request and those who would have otherwise refused the request. This suggests that anticipatory self-reproach motivates people to avoid prosocial requests, regardless of whether or not this self-reproach would have been strong enough to cause them to comply with a direct request. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings for prosocial behavior and the maintenance of moral self-regard.
format text
author LIN, Stephanie C.
SCHAUMBERG, Rebecca L.
REICH, Taly
author_facet LIN, Stephanie C.
SCHAUMBERG, Rebecca L.
REICH, Taly
author_sort LIN, Stephanie C.
title Sidestepping the rock and the hard place: The private avoidance of prosocial requests
title_short Sidestepping the rock and the hard place: The private avoidance of prosocial requests
title_full Sidestepping the rock and the hard place: The private avoidance of prosocial requests
title_fullStr Sidestepping the rock and the hard place: The private avoidance of prosocial requests
title_full_unstemmed Sidestepping the rock and the hard place: The private avoidance of prosocial requests
title_sort sidestepping the rock and the hard place: the private avoidance of prosocial requests
publisher Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University
publishDate 2016
url https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/5260
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/6259/viewcontent/SideSteppingRoackhardPlace_2016.pdf
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