Development of prosocial, individualistic, and competitive orientations: theory and preliminary evidence
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The authors adopt an interdependence analysis of social value orientation, proposing that prosocial, individualistic, and competitive orientations are (a) partially rooted in different patterns of social interaction as experienced during the periods spanning early childhood to young adulthood and (b) further shaped by different patterns of social interaction as experienced during early adulthood, middle adulthood, and old age. Congruent with this analysis, results revealed that relative to individualists and competitors, prosocial individuals exhibited greater levels of secure attachment (Studies 1 and 2) and reported having more siblings, especially sisters (Study 3). Finally, the prevalence of prosocials increased—and the prevalence of individualists and competitors decreased—from early adulthood to middle adulthood and old age (Study 4).
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Study 2 found no relation between intelligence and the traditional normative pro-social motivation, namely minimizing differences between contributors.
“We found no relation between intelligence and the traditional normative pro-social motivation, namely minimizing di V erences between contributors (Van Lange et al., 1997).”
From Altruistic behavior as a costly signal of general intelligence (2007) · cites this paper as Van Lange et al., 1997
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- Authors
- Van Lange, P. A. M., De Bruin, E. M. N., Otten, W., & Joireman, J. A.
- Affiliations
- Seattle Pacific University (US)
- ORCID
- Otten, Wilma
- Venue
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Published
- 1997
- Volume
- 73
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 733-746
- ISSN
- 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1315
- OpenAlex
- W4232838662
- Cited by
- 1,209
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 46 · 2025: 46 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 62 · 2022: 60 · 2021: 62 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 65 · 2018: 63 · 2017: 53 · 2016: 73 · 2015: 71 · 2014: 50 · 2013: 71 · 2012: 43
- FWCI
- 19.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- research.vu.nl
- Licence
- other-oa
- Locations
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (publishedVersion)
- VU Research Portal (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Cultural Differences and Values
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Keywords
- prosocial orientation, competitive orientation, social value orientation, interdependence theory, social interaction patterns, attachment security, siblings, gender differences, life course development, personality development
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Analysis of Variance, Competitive Behavior, Cooperative Behavior, Family Characteristics, Female, Humans, Human Development, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Middle Aged, Netherlands, Object Attachment, Psychological Theory, Social Behavior, Social Values, Multivariate Analysis
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