Jensen Keith
School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Coupland 1 Building, Coupland Street, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
Curr Biol. 2016 Aug 22;26(16):R748-52. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.07.025.
Prosociality refers to behaviours that are intended to benefit others. This definition appears to be so straightforward that it hardly bears mentioning: like certain forms of adult entertainment, we know it when we see it. Yet, determining what counts as prosocial is not as simple as it first appears. There are numerous behaviours that appear prosocial but, on scrutiny, may not have been intended and motivated for the well-being of others. Consider a banal scenario: a seated passenger on a crowded bus stands up and someone takes his seat. Did the person standing up intend that someone else take the seat? Perhaps he was getting off the bus at the next stop and did not care if anyone sat there. But what if he remained standing for several stops, or made an overt gesture such as waving his hand toward the seat? In that case it is more likely that he intended for someone to have his place on the bus. But what about his underlying motives? Maybe he was putting himself in a better position to pick the pocket of the person sitting down. Less sinister possibilities include trying to impress the person who took his seat - trying to improve his reputation, his social standing, as it were. Or maybe, just maybe, he intended for another passenger to sit comfortably, to increase the happiness of a stranger, with no ulterior motives.
亲社会行为是指旨在造福他人的行为。这个定义似乎非常直白，几乎无需赘述：就像某些形式的成人娱乐一样，我们见到时就能认出它。然而，确定什么算是亲社会行为并不像乍看起来那么简单。有许多行为看似是亲社会行为，但仔细审视后，可能并非出于对他人福祉的意图和动机。考虑一个平常的场景：在拥挤的公交车上，一位坐着的乘客站起来，然后有人坐到了他的座位上。站起来的那个人是有意让别人坐他的座位吗？也许他在下一站就要下车了，并不在乎是否有人坐在那里。但如果他好几站都一直站着，或者做出明显的手势，比如朝着座位挥手呢？在这种情况下，他更有可能是有意让别人在公交车上坐他的位置。但他潜在的动机是什么呢？也许他是为了更方便地偷坐在座位上那个人的口袋。不那么险恶的可能性包括试图给坐在他座位上的人留下印象——试图提升自己的声誉，也就是他的社会地位。或者也许，仅仅是也许，他是想让另一位乘客坐得舒服些，增加一个陌生人的幸福感，而没有不可告人的动机。
