Prosocial for Beginners

Explore the meaning of prosocial, its relation to benevolence and malevolence, and how caring behaviors toward others map onto a benevolent–malevolent spectrum.

Position prosocial behavior between self-interest and altruism, showing how it benefits others while serving the actor's own needs. It involves minimal personal cost and blends self-serving and other-serving aims.

Explore the spectrum from selfish to prosocial behavior, showing how actions benefiting both self and others define prosociality and drive collaboration and effective groups.

Explore how change acts as evolution, and learn to consciously guide processes in human affairs to promote desirable, collaborative outcomes as the foundation of prosocial practice.

Explains evolutionary science as a multidisciplinary study of change over time, beyond biology, and clarifies the distinction between fact and opinion when evaluating progress and values.

Explore a textbook example of adaptation through natural selection as Manchester's peppered moths shift from light to dark wings due to polluted, darkened tree trunks, altering survival and reproduction.

Explore four streams of evolution: genetic, epigenetic, behavioral, and symbolic. The gene-centric view is partial, and natural selection acts across all streams, with symbolic evolution unique to humans.

Discover four inheritance systems and how epigenetic inheritance expands evolution beyond genetics, linking genotype and phenotype through gene expression and real-world cases like the Dutch Hunger Winter syndrome.

Compare Skinner's behavior analysis with contextual behavioral science, tracing the shift from behavioral therapy and CBT to relational frame theory and acceptance and commitment therapy for prosocial aims.

Apply behavior analysis (ABA) to shape cooperative, well-functioning groups by leveraging operant conditioning and environmental variables to influence observable and socially significant behaviors.

Focus on consequences to change behavior, emphasizing contrived rewards and punishers, with positive reinforcement driving lasting change and ignoring unwanted actions while offering viable alternatives.

Relational frame theory integrates language and cognition into behavior analysis, addressing private events such as thoughts and feelings, showing that rule-governed behavior can override operant conditioning through contingencies of meaning.

Relational framing shows how verbal rules coordinate behavior and create symbolic networks, shaping psychological rigidity; learn to apply ACT and RFT to foster flexibility.

Explore the psychological flexibility model as a key to overcoming the human condition, reducing avoidance of aversive inner experiences, and supporting prosocial behavior and collaboration.

Explore how the ACT Matrix increases psychological flexibility by mapping inner and outer domains of experience and distinguishing toward moves from away moves.

Apply the ACT Matrix 2x2 to map toward and away moves across outer and inner domains, identify what matters, and build psychological flexibility to act despite aversive experiences.

Reveals Hardin's tragedy of the commons as a faulty definition and flawed view of human nature; Ostrom shows top-down regulation and privatization have limits, highlighting regulators' outsider status and autonomy.

Explore the art of commoning by applying Elinor Ostrom’s core design principles to manage common-pool resources through local, cooperative governance rooted in the prosocial framework.

Explore fair and inclusive decision-making, comparing hierarchical and egalitarian models and practical approaches like autocratic, consultative, facilitative, consent-based, and convergent facilitation to boost autonomy and collaboration.

Enhance prosociality by integrating contextual behavioral science with commoning; learn how trust, long-term thinking, and social value orientation foster cooperation through psychological flexibility and the ACT Matrix.

Learn to run the ACT Matrix at the individual level, map values in the bottom-right, identify inner stuff in the bottom-left, and plan top-right actions toward what matters.

Master the sixth core design principle: fast and fair conflict-resolution with an integrative matrix. Separate the person from the problem, surface shared interests, and evaluate multiple options using objective criteria.