The influence of the Class on Prosociality
Class, Cooperation, Generosity, Ontogeny, Reputation Effect
Prosocial behavior exists in all human societies. There is a constant effort to understand, mostly between Human Behavior Evolution researchers, which universal patterns influence human prosociality. A factor that has been recently gained attention on prosociality research is the individual socioeconomic class, a complex construct that reflects ancestry and cultural constructions. However, studies reveal contradictory evidences between class and prosociality, in both children and adults. In this sense, we aim to systematic investigate if some of these contradictions occur from different methodologies, and if contextual and individual variables are mediating or moderating class-prosociality. The first study we propose aims to verify which method better splits the behavior between classes: economic games, natural observation, and questionnaires. Also, we will verify the mediation and moderation of some factors, including motivations: local inequality, theory of mind, social value orientation, compassion, and identity fusion. Finally, we will identify how children and adult behavior correlate. From the results obtained, we will establish the method for the second study, which aims to understand the reputation effect for each class, and between classes. We have done pilot studies in two children groups in which we tested and adapted the public goods game protocol, and elaborated and verified the application viability of an ethogram. Also, we prepared questionnaires which are in validation process in Brazilian portuguese.