Giving Versus Withholding Benevolence: Examining People’s Decisions to Engage in or Withhold Prosocial Affiliative Behaviors

Prosocial affiliative behaviors are acts that benefit others while building and reinforcing relational/communal ties. These include everyday help-giving, acting in compassionate ways, expressing gratitude, or expressing forgiveness. This symposium presents research on the motivations, emotions, and beliefs that either facilitate or discourage the enactment of prosocial affiliative behaviors.