Can we return good for evil? A meta-analysis of social exclusion and prosocial behaviour

Abstract

Numerous studies have discussed the connection between social exclusion and prosocial behaviour, yet the conclusions have been inconsistent. We conducted a three-level meta-analysis on 83 effect sizes derived from 53 studies (N = 21,405). Overall, a significant yet weak negative correlation was found between social exclusion and prosocial behaviour (r = −.10, 95% CI [−0.17, −0.04]). Moderator analysis revealed that individuals in collectivistic cultures may exhibit higher levels of prosocial behaviour following exclusion compared to those in individualistic cultures. The female proportion positively influenced the overall effect size. The type of prosocial behaviour was marginally significant, in that ‘other’ prosocial behaviour yielded the largest effect sizes. However, effects did not differ across age groups, between the inclusion condition and the neutral condition, or between experimental research and correlational research. Our results underscore the crucial roles of culture and gender in the relationship between social exclusion and prosocial behaviour.