Prosocial Behavior and Reputation: When Does Doing Good Lead to Looking Good?

Berman, J Z and Silver, I (2022) Prosocial Behavior and Reputation: When Does Doing Good Lead to Looking Good? Current Opinion in Psychology, 43. pp. 102-107. ISSN 2352-250X

Abstract

One reason people engage in prosocial behavior is to reap the reputational benefits associated with being seen as generous. Yet, there isn’t a direct connection between doing good deeds and being seen as a good person. Rather, prosocial actors are often met with suspicion, and sometimes castigated as disingenuous braggarts, empty virtue-signalers, or holier-than-thou hypocrites. In this article, we review recent research on how people evaluate those who engage in prosocial behavior and identify key factors that influence whether observers will praise or denigrate a prosocial actor for doing a good deed.

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Item Type:	Article
Subject Areas:	Marketing
Additional Information:	Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
Date Deposited:	06 Jul 2021 11:19
Date of first compliant deposit:	06 Jul 2021
Last Modified:	21 Dec 2024 03:00
URI:	https://lbsresearch.london.edu/id/eprint/1832

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