Albert Bandura’s Bobo doll studies suggest a clear correlation between observational learning and aggression. But can the same be true for prosocial behavior, or behavior that’s good, generous, or helpful? Can prosocial behavior be increased through the process of observational learning?

A large-scale (n=16,893) longitudinal study in Germany^[1] sought to understand if levels of prosocial behavior in a consistent school classroom could lead to overall changes in prosocial behaviors over time.

Prosocial behavior, which was measured by individual students’ self-reports, was measured at time 1 and then subsequently at time 2 (approximately two years later). Prosocial behavior, characterized as actions such as helping classmates with homework, resolving disputes without violence, and helping to keep the classroom clean, was assessed via a five-item questionnaire. Students rated how often they exhibited these behaviors over the last twelve months on a scale from 1 (never) to 5 (almost every day). They also completed a four-item questionnaire ranking statements on perspective-taking and empathizing with others before making judgments.

The researchers found that students who were in classrooms that displayed high levels of prosocial behavior at time 1 displayed even higher levels of prosocial behavior at time 2 but this trend was not observed in classrooms that displayed lower levels of prosocial behavior. In fact, students who individually had lower levels of prosocial behavior appeared to be even more influenced by prosocial environments than their highly prosocial peers. As with aggression, students appeared more strongly influenced by the prosocial behaviors of same-gendered classmates. Together, these findings suggest that prosocial behavior can be learned and modified through observational learning, just like aggression (Busching & Krahé, 2020).