Conceptions of Happiness and Prosocial Behavior: Evidence from a Dictator Game

The literature on the relationship between happiness and prosocial behavior has traditionally focused on assessments of happiness without delving into people’s perceptions of what constitutes a happy life. Conceptual Referent Theory (CRT) draws on philosophical frameworks to propose eight distinct happiness constructs. In this study, we investigate the correlation between these happiness constructs and the results derived from a dictator game on prosocial behavior. We also explore potential group biases by analyzing the participants’ interactions with individuals from different ethnicities. Our findings suggest that prosocial behavior is influenced by specific styles of happiness, which indicates that focusing policies on certain happiness constructs may promote prosocial values. However, this relationship varies across populations. Specifically, the happiness constructs virtue and tranquility positively impact the likelihood of Spanish participants engaging in prosocial behavior when interacting with recipients from Spanish, Moroccan, and Chinese backgrounds, but not with those from a Senegalese background. Intessrestingly, no happiness constructs were found to be negatively correlated with prosocial behavior. The evidence presented highlights the importance of implementing actions and policies aimed at cultivating healthier and more prosocial societies.