Prosocial behavior in convicted offenders: A scoping review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24193/subbpsyped.2024.2.05Keywords:
prosocial behavior, social behavior, Economic games, prisoners, incarcerated offendersAbstract
Despite considerable interest and relevance to the broader community, prosocial behavior in prisons remains an understudied topic. The purpose of the present study was to summarize existing research on prosocial behavior among incarcerated offenders. A complex search of three electronic citation databases (Google Scholar, Web of Science, and PsychInfo) was conducted, covering articles published in the last decade (January 2012 to December 2023). Of the 248 articles initially found, only 12 were included in the scoping review after eligibility screening. The included studies reported on prosocial behavior as measured by self-report questionnaires or experimental tasks/economic games and were conducted with incarcerated offenders. A first set of studies aimed to assess prisoners' self-reported prosocial behavior, while a second set of studies provided a less subjective approach to offender prosociality by using a variety of games that allowed for the investigation of two main types of actual prosocial behavior: resource sharing and reciprocal prosocial behavior (cooperation). Existing studies conducted in prisons provide valuable insights into different types of prosociality and the factors that may influence offenders' decisions to engage in prosocial behavior. Further research is needed, particularly using ecological methods reflecting actual prosocial behavior in high-stakes settings to get an accurate picture of the authenticity of prosociality among convicted offenders.
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