Prosocial agency: The contribution of values and self-efficacy beliefs to prosocial behavior across ages

A number of findings attest to the positive influence that prosocial behavior, namely people's tendency to act voluntarily to benefit others, exerts on individual functioning and interpersonal transactions. A large sample from the Italian population belonging to six age groups participated in the study and filled out self-report questionnaires aimed at evaluating personal efficacy beliefs, values, and prosocial behavior. The present study examined a conceptual model in which self efficacy beliefs and self-transcendence values-benevolence and universalism-operate in concert to promote prosocial behavior. The posited model accounted for a notable portion of the variance of prosocial behavior, ranging from 41% to 70% in both genders. Findings attest to the effects that self-transcendence values exert on prosocial behavior either directly, or indirectly through self-efficacy beliefs, in regulating affect and in managing interpersonal relationships.