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What drives certain individuals to engage more actively in their communities than others? A recent study from the University of Zurich, now available on the PsyArXiv preprint server, reveals that specific personality traits, particularly extraversion and agreeableness, are associated with increased volunteering and charitable contributions.
Significant disparities exist in how willing individuals are to participate in volunteer activities or donate to charitable causes. Beyond factors like financial incentives and social pressures, it appears that personal characteristics play a crucial role in determining one’s propensity to contribute to community welfare.
Researchers from the University of Zurich’s Department of Psychology set out to explore the relationship between the Big Five personality traits—openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism—and prosocial behavior. Their analysis encompassed 29 international studies with over 90,000 participants, incorporating various methods for assessing personality and diverse forms of philanthropic engagement.
The Significance of Personality Traits
The study highlights that two personality traits, in particular, are closely tied to charitable behavior. Those who exhibit sociability and assertiveness, indicative of higher extraversion, tend to engage more in volunteer work. Conversely, agreeableness is associated with financial giving, likely because agreeable individuals are often more empathetic and sensitive to others’ needs.
Research into other traits yielded less consistent findings; for instance, there was no definitive link between conscientiousness and involvement in philanthropic activities. Moreover, openness and neuroticism were found to have minimal influence on prosocial actions.
Innovative Approaches to Encourage Philanthropy
“Our findings affirm that personality differences significantly influence whether and how much individuals partake in prosocial activities,” states Wiebke Bleidorn, the study’s lead author and a psychology professor at the University of Zurich. She suggests that comprehending the connection between personality and charitable behavior could inform strategies to motivate individuals based on their unique characteristics and motivations.
The implications of this study extend beyond academia. It offers crucial insights for organizations and policymakers aiming to boost volunteering and charitable contributions. “This understanding can inform the creation of focused initiatives designed to increase participation in volunteering and charitable giving,” notes Christopher J. Hopwood, the study’s final author and a professor of psychology.
More information: Wiebke Bleidorn et al, Personality Traits and Traditional Philanthropy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, PsyArXiv (2025). DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/4sjhg_v1
Citation: How personality traits shape our prosocial behavior (2025, April 28) retrieved 28 April 2025 from https://phys.org/news/2025-04-personality-traits-prosocial-behavior.html
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