Pro-Social behavior

Posted: September 9th, 2013

Pro-Social behavior

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Pro-Social behavior

Pro-social behavior refers to the voluntary actions of an individual or a group that benefits another person, organization or group (Thye, 2008). Pro-social behavior promotes constructive features that are helpful to children and humanity (Dovidio, 2006). Personally, I have engaged in various acts of kindness that have greatly shaped different aspects in my behavior, attitude and character.

The stranded lady in Walmart

Over time, I have become friends with Mrs. Teresa and her two daughters who are both in high school and she had slight trouble paying her bills. On one Friday, everything seemed to go wrong for Mrs. Teresa. On that day, her property owner called her several times to reminder her that she was late in her rent payments. When one day she and I went shopping, she collected all her goods but then discovered that she had forgotten her bankcard. I got out of the door but came back and asked the cashier how much her bill was which amounted to $80. Therefore, I bought a $100 gift card for Mrs. Teresa to clear her bill. She was very elated and thankful for the gesture of kindness.

Fixing supper for the family

I chose to make supper for my family on one Saturday. I decided to make Spaghetti Sauce with Chicken Sausage and Swiss chard (Thompson et al, 2008). I even arranged the table and placed al the utensils for a meal. When my mother, father and sister came back, they were surprised and appreciated my efforts by settling round for a family meal. My mother thanked me severally for preparing the meal. My sister also promised to help me cook the next time. I realized that when you help people do chores within the house, they appreciate the time you create for them to relax and enjoy the free time. However, my brother did not even notice my kind gesture. He just ate and left. I realized that when we try to do kind things, some people might not acknowledge our efforts.

Giving a big tip for Christmas at Outback steak house

I regularly eat at the Outback steak house in our neighborhood. On the Christmas of 2010, I decided to go for a special breakfast prepared by the management of the restaurant. The meal was very well prepared and I finished all of it. As I was just about to leave, I removed some cash to leave as a tip for the good service and being in a cheerful mood, I decided to leave $100 under the plate for the waiter. I felt happy that I had left a large tip without any reason and that the waiter picking it up would be very delighted on Christmas Day.

Buying the plane tickets for my parents for Christmas

            My parents had been working extra hard the whole year and when December approached and the holidays set in, they were very tired and strapped for cash. On Christmas day, they were sleeping in late and had no plans of doing anything special. When I woke up, I decided to get them a nice present so I switched on the PC and logged in to British Airways and bought them two return tickets to Hawaii. They were very elated that I decided to do the kind gesture without any reason. On my part, I felt happy that I had helped someone enjoy his or her Christmas day.

Paying for the next car at the tollbooth

Traveling from one state or district may be very cumbersome and drivers always encounter tollbooths. Whenever I drive on these long journeys, I pay for the car behind me at the tollbooth. It gives me happiness to know that the driver will be surprised and thankful for the anonymous well-wisher. The car behind responded by tooting and flashing his lights that meant he appreciated my gesture.

References

Dovidio, J. F. (2006). The social psychology of pro-social behavior. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers

Thompson, Kelly, & Gullone, Eleonora. (2008). Prosocial and antisocial behaviors in adolescents: An investigation into associations with attachment and empathy. (Berg Publishers.) Berg Publishers.

Thye, S. R. (2009). Altruism and pro-social behavior in groups. Advances in Group Processes, 26.