Abstract
Social situations require people to make complex decisions, sometimes involving different outcomes for the self and others. Considering the long-lasting interest scholars are showing in the topic of social decisions, the aim of the current article is to add to this research line by looking at personal values as possible factors associated with a preference for more self-maximizing or cooperative choices. In a general adult sample (N = 63), we used the Social Value Orientation (SVO) slider measure to investigate participants’ tendency towards prosocial or proself outcomes. We also administered a personal values questionnaire, measuring 19 basic values, organized in 4 higher-order values. Building on the theory of basic individual values, we expected self-transcendence to be positively associated with more prosocial orientations. Our main result confirmed that self-transcendence was positively correlated with SVO whereas no other higher-order values were associated with SVO. Our data also revealed that inequality aversion was the primary motivation of prosocials, and this result was unrelated to gender effects or the personal values under investigation.
Highlights
Social situations require people to make complex decisions, sometimes involving different outcomes for the self and others
Building on the theory of basic individual values, we expected self-transcendence to be positively associated with more prosocial orientations
Our data revealed that inequality aversion was the primary motivation of prosocials, and this result was unrelated to gender effects or the personal values under investigation
Summary
Social situations require people to make complex decisions, sometimes involving different outcomes for the self and others. Traditional economic theories, such as expected utility theory or game theory [1], assumed that people would be primarily interested in self-maximizing choices. Numerous research contributions from both psychology and economics refuted the self-maximization principle, indicating that people prefer quite frequently options that illustrate a more cooperative or fairness-inclined nature [2]. Considering the long-lasting interest scholars are showing in the topic of social decisions, the aim of the current article is to add to this research line by looking at personal values as possible factors associated with a preference for more self-maximizing or cooperative choices. Overlooked is the question of whether there is an association between personal values and prosocial decisions
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
