Common Humanity and Valuing Others' Well-Being as Ways to Expand Compassion and Prosocial Behavior Beyond Friends for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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Date
2025
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Abstract
Theoretical Framework: There is a natural tendency to feel more compassion and to show more prosocial behavior towards those considered part of our ingroup (e.g., family or friends). For promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, Common Humanity is proposed as a relevant aspect to promote, allowing us to go beyond our ingroups. Objective: This study explores the mechanism involved in the promotion of compassion and prosocial behavior beyond friends, exploring the role of common humanity and the value we give to others' well-being. Method: Through structural equation modeling, we studied these mechanisms with a sample of one hundred and fifty-two adolescents between 11 and 15 years old. Results and Discussion: Common humanity predicts compassion and prosocial behavior, and the value we give to others' well-being is a significant partial mediator between common humanity and the different proxies we use to measure compassion. These mediations differ if the other is an ingroup or outgroup member. Furthermore, helping intention is a total mediator between common humanity and helping conduct. Research Implications: These results show that it is not only similarity that promotes compassion, in this case, as human beings, but common humanity and compassion are inextricably linked with the moral component of care. Originality/Value: The present research shows an alternative to expand compassion and prosociality beyond friends, tending bridges between groups through connecting to what we all have in common as human beings. This can be a promise in multicultural societies where differences sometimes make us apart, preventing the appearance of intergroup prejudices and discrimination.
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Keywords
Common humanity, Prosociality, Compassion, Adolescents, Care, Empathic concern, Helping conduct, Achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs).