#prosocial-behavior

#prosocial-behavior

You know that moment when you're loading groceries into your car and you see someone just leave their cart in an empty parking space? Or worse, watch it slowly roll toward someone's car? I've been thinking about this a lot lately, especially after watching a guy in the pouring rain push his cart all the way back to the corral. No one was watching. No reward waiting. Just him, getting soaked, doing what he thought was right.

Ever notice how some people at the grocery store meticulously return their cart to the corral, while others abandon it in the parking spot? I started paying attention to this after watching a heated debate unfold on social media about "cart returners" versus "cart leavers." What struck me was how passionately people defended their position, as if this simple act touched something much deeper.

You might say that people who are agreeable are not only kind but also able to zero in on the emotional needs of others. Step one in being kind does seem to need this ability to empathize. According to North Dakota State University's (NDSU's) Michael Robinson and colleagues (2025), unlike the other FFM traits, agreeableness has an emotional component. In their words, "trust, warmth, compassion, and friendliness... seem to require a feeling component to be enacted successfully."

Folks, we have some revolutionary sociological research to share with you today. After making a guy dressed as Batman stand around in a subway car, a team of researchers found that the behavior of people around him suddenly improved the moment he showed up. No longer was everyone completely self-involved; with the presence of a superhero, commuters started helping each other more than they would've without him around. Behold: the "Batman effect."

Eye imagery influences behavior irregularly, with few consistent results. While initially promising, recent studies show factors like context critically shape whether watching eyes effectively nudge generosity.