Is there a nexus between pro-social behavior and well-being? Correlational evidence

Christian Koch ()
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Christian Koch: University of Vienna

Journal of the Economic Science Association, 2024, vol. 10, issue 2, No 6, 279-293

Abstract: Abstract Is there a connection between pro-social behavior and well-being? This question has long been of interest, with Aristotle famously suggesting a nexus between virtues and well-being. To delve into this relationship, I conducted an extensive study encompassing multiple classical economic games and nearly 100 well-being questions. My findings confirm that different patterns of pro-sociality are robustly correlated with each other. On top, I find reliable correlations between well-being and pro-social behavior, as well as certain forms of punishment. In terms of underlying explanations, I observe that pro-sociality is particularly associated with a form of long-term well-being known as eudaimonia, suggesting that pro-social behavior plays a fundamental role in people perceiving their life as meaningful.

Keywords: Cooperation; Well-being; Happiness; Eudaimonia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C91 D03 D64 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s40881-023-00156-0

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