Some Factors Influencing Prosocial Behavior

Empathy, social skill and extraversion

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influences of empathy, social skill and extraversion on prosocial behavior. In this research, the Japanese version of the empathy scale (Davis, 1983), social skills scale (Goldstein, 1986), Si scale of MMPI and prosocial behavior scale (Kikuchi, 1985) were used. One hundred and fifteen female college students replied to these scales. As a result, the hypothesis that empathy, social skill, and extraversion would affect positive influences on prosocial behavior was partially supported. Factor analysis of empathy scale and social skill scale revealed that the concept of empathy was constructed from four sub-concepts (calmness, anxiety of emergency, sensibility, and understanding another's place and calmness) and that the concept of social skill was constructed of six sub-concepts (dealing with problem, positiveness, expression of affect, consideration for others, apology, and communication with others). Pass-analysis including the sub-concepts of scales showed that sensibility, calmness and communication with others had positive influence on prosocial behavior. And it became clear that calmness to others mediated between understanding another's place and prosocial behavior, and that communication with others mediated between coping with problems, expression of affect, extraversion, positiveness, prosocial behabior.