Table_1_Stress and Emotional Intelligence Shape Giving Behavior: Are There Different Effects of Social, Cognitive, and Emotional Stress?.DOCX

Acute stress has been linked with prosocial behavior, yet it is entirely unexplored how different types of stressors may affect individuals’ willingness to help: This is particularly relevant while people is experiencing multiple sources of stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we explore whether different types of stress influence peoples’ giving behavior and the moderating role of emotional intelligence (EI). Undergraduate students were exposed to experimentally induced social, cognitive, or emotional stress and were asked to self-report on their willingness to help and donate to a charity raising funds for COVID-19 and flu patients. Results showed that when compared to a control condition, after being exposed to a social stress, participants were more willing to help a person in need. Our results also provide evidence that, after experiencing a social stress, participants with high (vs low) trait EI were more willing to help, and, as a result, donated more. Findings indicate that moderate levels of distress are associated with increased donations. Interestingly, when stress is not too threatening, high EI can regulate it and promote prosocial behaviors.

急性应激与亲社会行为存在关联，但目前尚未明确不同类型的应激源如何影响个体的助人意愿。在新冠疫情背景下，人们正承受多源应激压力，这一问题的研究价值尤为凸显。本研究旨在探究不同类型的应激如何影响个体的捐赠行为，以及情绪智力（Emotional Intelligence，EI）的调节作用。
研究招募本科生作为被试，通过实验性诱发其社会应激、认知应激或情绪应激，并要求被试自我报告其助人意愿，以及向为新冠病毒感染患者与流感患者募集资金的慈善机构进行捐赠的意愿。
研究结果显示，与对照组相比，经历社会应激的被试更愿意向处于困境中的他人提供帮助。
本研究同时发现，经历社会应激后，特质情绪智力水平较高的被试相较于水平较低者，更愿意提供帮助，相应的捐赠金额也更高。
研究结果还表明，中等程度的应激困扰与更高的捐赠意愿存在关联。
值得注意的是，当应激威胁程度较低时，高情绪智力可对应激进行调节，并促进亲社会行为的产生。