36th Annual Student Research Conference
An Examination of the Effects of Chronic Stress on Generosity
Kathryn J. Welter
Dr. Yuna L. Ferguson, Faculty Mentor
Stress is a widely shared issue among most people, especially college students, therefore it is important to understand the effects of chronic stress on behavior. Past research has shown that stress has a notable impact on prosocial behavior, but provides mixed results on whether stress increases or decreases this behavior. Therefore, we tested whether perceived stress increases prosocial behavior, and considered the influence of stress-mindset and positive and negative affect on this relationship. In our study, undergraduates (N = 101) completed a survey measuring their levels of prosocial personality (generosity and helping attitudes), their perceived stress, positive and negative affect, and type of stress-mindset (stress-as-enhancing or stress-as-debilitating). It was found that prosocial personality was positively predicted by positive affect (p < .05), but was not supported by stress. To reach a consensus on the impact of stress on generous and prosocial behaviors, more broad and inclusive studies should be conducted.
Keywords: prosocial behavior, generosity, chronic stress, stress-mindset, affect
Topic(s):Psychology
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Session: 2-5
Location: Student Union Building Activities Room
Time: 3:00