Abstract:

Prosocial behavior—acts intended to benefit others, such as helping, donating, and volunteering—is essential for the functioning of societies. However, empirical studies have repeatedly shown that individuals are often reluctant to engage in prosocial behaviors. In response to this challenge, the present research introduces parenting motivation, a concept rooted in evolutionary psychology, as a novel lens through which to understand and promote prosocial behavior. Parenting motivation refers to an evolved motivational system that drives individuals to act in ways that benefit offspring and enhance genetic fitness. While previous studies have examined its influence on avoidance-oriented behaviors, such as risk aversion and social vigilance, little research has explored how parenting motivation may extend beyond parenting contexts to promote prosocial behavior more broadly.

Drawing on theories of evolutionary adaptation and cognitive energetics, we propose that parenting motivation would promote prosocial behavior through a “cognitive-energetics” dual-pathway model. This model suggests that parenting motivation enhances prosocial behavior via two mechanisms: (1) a cognitive pathway that increases communal orientation, and (2) an energetic pathway that boosts individuals’ perceived coping ability—specifically, through the motivational emotion of hope. We aim to test this theoretical model across three studies. Study 1 provides initial support for the link between parenting motivation and prosocial behavior using multiple methods. Study 2 examines the underlying mechanisms through which parenting motivation promotes prosocial behavior. Study 3 translates our theoretical insights into practice by implementing a field experiment to test whether a parenting motivation-framing message can enhance real-world prosocial behavior compared to a neutral message.

This research makes several theoretical contributions. First, it contributes to the literature on prosocial behavior by introducing a novel antecedent—parenting motivation. While previous studies have examined the determinants of prosocial behavior from individual, social, and situational perspectives, none has specifically investigated the role of parenting motivation. Moreover, unlike prior research that has primarily focused on self-interest or altruism as motivational underpinnings of prosocial behavior, this study adopts an evolutionary adaptation perspective, proposing that parenting motivation drives prosocial behavior via a dual cognitive-energetic pathway. By conceptualizing prosocial behavior as a response to adaptive opportunities, this study offers a fresh explanatory framework and a valuable reference point for future research.

Second, the study elucidates the specific cognitive-energetic mechanisms through which parenting motivation promotes prosocial behavior. Cognitive-energetic theory, typically used to explain behaviors that involve personal cost, persistence, or effort, is here applied to a new context—illuminating how parenting motivation fosters prosocial action. This not only broadens the applicability of the theory but also identifies two distinct pathways. The cognitive pathway: Parenting motivation leads individuals to construe their relationship with recipients of help in terms of communal (vs. exchange) orientation, thereby enhancing prosocial tendencies. This also contributes to the theory of communal relationships. The motivational pathway: Parenting motivation, as an evolutionary adaptation, redistributes individuals’ behavioral energy toward adaptive opportunities, such as prosocial behavior. It does so by eliciting hope, which in turn energizes prosocial behavior.

Third, this study also enriches the broader literature on parenting motivation. Unlike earlier studies that have predominantly focused on avoidance-oriented behaviors driven by parenting motives—such as heightened risk aversion and increased caution—this research highlights how parenting motivation may also trigger opportunity-seeking behaviors conducive to offspring thrive, namely prosocial behavior. Additionally, by demonstrating that parenting motivation promotes prosocial behavior via a cognitive-energetic mechanism, the study extends the explanatory scope of parenting motivation and deepens our understanding of its behavioral implications.

Finally, this work offers practical implications for public policy and social marketing: activating latent parenting motives through targeted messaging may serve as an effective and ethically sound strategy to promote prosocial behaviors in the broader population. In sum, this research highlights parenting motivation as an adaptive force that mobilizes individuals to engage in prosocial behaviors, particularly when confronted with societal or environmental challenges. By bridging evolutionary theory and practical intervention, it opens up new avenues for research and application in prosocial decision-making and behavioral nudges.

Key words: parenting motivation, prosocial behavior, evolutionary adaptation, “cognitive-energetic” mechanism