最近不少研究者都開始承認利社會行為及與它相關的正向結果的重要性,因此利社會行為的預測變項漸漸受到重視。有學者提出資源分配(resource allocation)類型可分成三種:合作型、競爭型及個人型。本研究的目的之一為探討利社會行為與資源分配類型的關係。本研究以大學生為研究對象,探討個人的分配類型是否會受到不同的分配對象所影響,對象包括親人、朋友及陌生人。結果發現當對象為親人及朋友時,個人傾向使用合作型;但對象為陌生人時則傾向使用競爭型。接下來進一步探討當對象為陌生人時,不同分配類型的個人其個人特質有何不同。結果發現合作型的人,其利他的利社會行為傾向、急迫的利社會行為傾向、同情心均顯著高於競爭型及個人型,其中以同情心最為顯著。另一方面,本研究也以階層迴歸探討不同變項(年齡、性別、同理心、個人主義及集體主義)對利社會行為傾向之預測性,結果發現年齡、性別、觀點取替、同情心及集體主義對不同利社會傾向具有不同程度的預測性,其中同理心(包括觀點取替及同情心)對於利社會行為傾向的預測性最好。綜合而言,根據本研究的結果可推論出,同情心的高低是個人願意惠及陌生人的關鍵因素;而同理心更是與利社會行為有密切關連。未來研究可以探討更多會影響個人資源分配偏好的因素,也可以更進一步探討如何透過相關因素來提高個人的利社會行為,例如提高個人的同理心特質。
Researchers have recently acknowledged the importance of prosocial behavior and its connections to other positive outcomes. The predictors of prosocial behavior thus have gained much attention. Three types of resource allocation preferences: cooperative, competitive, and individualist have been proposed. One of the goals of this study is to examine the relation between prosocial behavior and resource allocation preferences. This research first explores the resource allocation preferences of college students when they face different recipients: family members, friends, and strangers. The result shows that individuals tend to be “cooperative” when the recipient is a family member or a friend and be “competitive” when the recipient is a stranger. In addition, this study explores how the individuals of three resource allocation preferences differ in prosocial behavior and empathy related characteristics specifically in the “stranger” situation. The result shows that the cooperators have higher altruistic and dire prosocial behavior tendencies and especially sympathy than the competitors and individualists. Finally, this study intends to find out which variables (age, gender, empathy, and the degree of individualism and collectivism) predict prosocial behavior tendencies. The result shows that age, gender, perspective taking, sympathy and the degree of collectivism have contributions to different prosocial behaviors. Among these variables, empathy (including perspective taking and sympathy) is the best predictor. In conclusion, according to the findings, sympathy is the key factor for individuals to have the cooperative preference and empathy is strongly related to prosocial behavior. The future research can examine more factors that might have an impact on resource allocation preferences and also focus on how to encourage more prosocial behaviors by means of strengthening relating characteristics such as empathy.