People cooperate every day in ways that range from largescale contributions that mitigate climatechange to simple actions such as leaving another individual with choice – known as social... Show morePeople cooperate every day in ways that range from largescale contributions that mitigate climatechange to simple actions such as leaving another individual with choice – known as social mindfulness.It is not yet clear whether and how these complex and more simple forms of cooperation relate. Priorwork has found that countries with individuals who made more socially mindful choices were linked toa higher country environmental performance – a proxy for complex cooperation. Here we replicatedthis initial finding in 41 samples around the world, demonstrating the robustness of the associationbetween social mindfulness and environmental performance, and substantially built on it to show thisrelationship extended to a wide range of complex cooperative indices, tied closely to many currentsocietal issues. We found that greater social mindfulness expressed by an individual was related toliving in countries with more social capital, more community participation and reduced prejudicetowards immigrants. Our findings speak to the symbiotic relationship between simple and morecomplex forms of cooperation in societies. Show less
Doesum, N.J. van; Lange, P. A.M. van; Tybur J.M.; Leal, A.; Dijk, E. van 2022
People are quick to form impressions of others’ social class, and likely adjust their behavior accordingly.If social class is linked to prosociality, as literature suggests, then an interaction... Show morePeople are quick to form impressions of others’ social class, and likely adjust their behavior accordingly.If social class is linked to prosociality, as literature suggests, then an interaction partner’s class shouldaffect prosocial behavior, especially when costs or investments are low. We test this expectation usingsocial mindfulness (SoMi) and dictator games (DG) as complementary measures of prosociality. Wemanipulate target class by providing information regarding a target’s (a) position on a social classladder, and (b) family background. Three studies using laboratory and online approaches (Noverall =557) in two nations (the Netherlands [NL], the UK), featuring actual and hypothetical exchanges, revealthat lower class targets are met with greater prosociality than higher class targets, even when based oninformation about the targets’ parents (Study 3). The effect of target class was partially mediated bycompassion (Studies 2 and 3) and perceived deservingness of the target (Study 3). Implications andlimitations are discussed. Show less
Parks are used by many people for many different purposes ranging from weekly tai-chi or other sports to daily dog walking, the yearly spring barbecue, or a simple breath of fresh air in a busy... Show moreParks are used by many people for many different purposes ranging from weekly tai-chi or other sports to daily dog walking, the yearly spring barbecue, or a simple breath of fresh air in a busy working day. Little green oases in the city, parks have many benefits at the psychological and environmental level. One of the requirements to reap these benefits is a clean park. But keeping a park clean often seems to be less of a shared habit. Littering is a big and resilient issue in many societies, not in the least in public places like urban parks. Show less
Doesum, N.J. van; Murphy, R.O.; Gallucci, M.; Aharonov-Majar, E.; Athenstaedt, U.; Au, W.T.; ... ; Lange, P. A.M. van 2022
Nielsen et al. (1) argue that Van Doesum et al. (2) need to consider three points for their interpretation of a positive association between individual-level social mindfulness (SoMi) and... Show moreNielsen et al. (1) argue that Van Doesum et al. (2) need to consider three points for their interpretation of a positive association between individual-level social mindfulness (SoMi) and environmental performance (EPI) at the country level (3). The association is weaker when 1) it is controlled for GDP and 2) when the data of three countries are removed; also, 3) the data do not address the association between SoMi and individual-level environmental concern. We discuss these points in turn. Show less
In this paper we test two approaches to reduce littering in urban parks that potentially reinforce each other: Relocating waste receptacles and the presence of watching eyes. Moving waste... Show moreIn this paper we test two approaches to reduce littering in urban parks that potentially reinforce each other: Relocating waste receptacles and the presence of watching eyes. Moving waste receptacles from the interior to the exits of a park makes waste collection more efficient, but can have opposing effects: Decreased littering because of greater care inspired by the perception of natural beauty in a park without artifacts like waste receptacles, or increased littering because of the greater distance to waste receptacles. Preceded by an online study (N = 153), three successive field studies showed mixed evidence for increased littering when moving waste receptacles to the exits (Study 2 and 3). However, when additionally attaching pictures of watching animal eyes to trees in the park (Study 4), litter levels seemed to decrease. We conclude that littering is best countered with a combination of persuasive communication and physical measures. Show less
Doesum, N.J. van; Murphy, R.O; Gallucci, M.; Aharonov-Majar, E.; Athenstaedt, U.; Au Wing, T.; ... ; Lange, P.A.M. van 2021
Humans are social animals, but not everyone will be mindful of others to the same extent. Individual differences have been found, but would social mindfulness also be shaped by one’s location in... Show moreHumans are social animals, but not everyone will be mindful of others to the same extent. Individual differences have been found, but would social mindfulness also be shaped by one’s location in the world? Expecting cross-national differences to exist, we examined if and how social mindfulness differs across countries. At little to no material cost, social mindfulness typically entails small acts of attention or kindness. Even though fairly common, such low-cost cooperation has received little empirical attention. Measuring social mindfulness across 31 samples from industrialized countries and regions (n = 8,354), we found considerable variation. Among selected country-level variables, greater social mindfulness was most strongly associated with countries’ better general performance on environmental protection. Together, our findings contribute to the literature on prosociality by targeting the kind of everyday cooperation that is more focused on communicating benevolence than on providing material benefits. Show less
Wal, A.J. van der; Doesum, N.J. van; Boomsma, G.T.; Weiden, A. van der; Boezeman, E.J.; Steinel, W.; Staats, H.J.A.M. 2020
Psychosis is characterized by problems in social functioning and trust, the assumed glue to positive social relations. But what helps building trust? A prime candidate could be social mindfulness:... Show morePsychosis is characterized by problems in social functioning and trust, the assumed glue to positive social relations. But what helps building trust? A prime candidate could be social mindfulness: the ability and willingness to see and consider another person’s needs and wishes during social decision making. We investigated whether first-episode psychosis patients (FEP) and patients at clinical high-risk (CHR) show reduced social mindfulness, and examined the underlying neural mechanisms. Show less
Major natural disasters often prompt charities to start rallying for extra donations. However, little is known about which variables predict disaster donations most strongly. Here we focused on... Show moreMajor natural disasters often prompt charities to start rallying for extra donations. However, little is known about which variables predict disaster donations most strongly. Here we focused on donations to victims of typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines (2013). A multifaceted approach combined three potential predictors: (a) prosocial traits (social value orientation and social mindfulness, or SVO and SoMi), (b) socio-demographic variables, and (c) minimal social cues (eye images). Participants (N = 643) completed an online survey in which they decided whether or not to spend time on a fundraising task to support the typhoon victims. Results of this exploratory study showed that SVO and SoMi, followed by educational attainment and political ideology, were the most prominent predictors of the decision to donate. Furthermore, SVO, SoMi, educational attainment, and religiosity were related to the donated amount. In disaster relief appeals, prosocial personality (and certain socio-demographic factors) might be a more important predictor of helping behavior than exposure to eye images. Show less
There is ample evidence for the central role of morality in social judgments. However, research has not examined whether perceived morality of others also drives perceived humanness, nor has it... Show moreThere is ample evidence for the central role of morality in social judgments. However, research has not examined whether perceived morality of others also drives perceived humanness, nor has it extensively considered its behavioral consequences. These issues were addressed across two studies. Study 1 revealed that information about a target person’s morality increased his/her perceived humanness, which in turn explained positive behavioral intentions toward him/her. Study 2 pointed out that information about a target person’s morality increased unselfish behaviors toward him/her. This effect was explained by perceived humanness of the target. Implications of the relationship between morality, perceived humanness, and unselfish behaviors are discussed. Show less
Doesum, N.J. van; Karremans, J.C.; Fikke, R.; Lange, M.A. de; Van Lange, P.A.M. 2018
Two studies show that being socially mindful only requires a minimal social context: The presence of a specific other is enough to bring out greater social mindfulness in a one-shot social decision... Show moreTwo studies show that being socially mindful only requires a minimal social context: The presence of a specific other is enough to bring out greater social mindfulness in a one-shot social decision-making task that focuses participants’ decisions on leaving or limiting other people’s choice. Study 1 contrasts a control condition (with no second chooser) with two conditions in which a confederate chooses after the participant. We find that articipants are socially mindful by leaving choice to the confederate more often. Study 2 reveals that a specified, identifiable other is left choice more often than an unspecified next chooser. The physical presence of others may thus be enough to elicit greater social mindfulness as manifested in simple and low-cost social decision-making. Show less
Van Lange, P.A.M.; Manesi, Z.; Meershoek, R.W.J.; Yuan, M.; Dong, M.; Doesum, N.J. van 2018
Acting prosocially can be quite challenging in one of the most salient intergroup contexts in contemporary society: Soccer. When winning is the ultimate goal, balancing self-interest with helping a... Show moreActing prosocially can be quite challenging in one of the most salient intergroup contexts in contemporary society: Soccer. When winning is the ultimate goal, balancing self-interest with helping a fellow player in distress can be a tough decision; yet it happens. To date, we know little about what motivates soccer players to offer such help in the heat of the game. We propose that sex and what is at stake will matter in such prosocial dilemma situations. A pilot study (N = 107) indicated that female players may be more likely to help than male players, but this difference was only observed when the players are close to scoring position rather than far away from the goal (midfield). The main study (N = 366) finds that young soccer players show elevated inclinations to help in low-stakes situations, for example when their team is winning or when the outcome of the game seems pretty much decided. Contrariwise, helping intentions decline in high-stakes situations, for example when one’s own team is losing, when one is close to a scoring position in the offense (rather than at the midfield), or when the outcome of the game is still uncertain. Furthermore, female players show somewhat greater inclinations to help than their male counterparts. The current data point at some differences for male and female soccer players, albeit small in effect size. In contrast, we conclude that especially quick cost-benefit judgments regarding the stakes can play a major role in decisions to help or not to help another player on the soccer field. Show less
