In recent years, with the development of the internet ecological civilization in China, people pay more attention to the online altruistic behavior. Previous studies have shown that students with proactive personality have positive psychological functions. They tend to seek opportunities to influence the existing environment. To clarify the effect of proactive personality on individual psychological mechanism and online altruistic behavior, this research takes undergraduates as subjects to explore the influence of proactive personality on online altruistic behavior as well as its internal mechanism.
The study used a group sampling method. Students from four universities were selected and issued 850 paper-based questionnaires, which included the Proactive Personality Questionnaire, the Online Positive Feedback Scale, the Meaning in Life Scale, and the Online Altruism Behavior Scale. We collected 780 valid paper questionnaires (382 for males and 398 for females). The age range of participants was between 17 and 25 years old (20.28 ± 1.26).
In the correlation analysis, the proactive personality was positively correlated with the online positive feedback, presence of meaning, search for meaning and online altruistic behavior separately (p < .01); Online positive feedback was positively correlated with presence of meaning, search for meaning, and online altruism behavior, respectively (p < .01]). The test of mediating effects showed that proactive personality can significantly positively predict online altruistic behavior (β = .15, t = 2.51, p < .05, 95% CI = [.03, .25]), online positive feedback (β = .33, t = 9.54, p < .001, 95% CI = [.26, .40]), presence of meaning (β = .70, t = 26.61, p < .001, 95% CI = [.64, .74]), and search for meaning (β = .56, t= 13.24, p < .001, 95% CI = [.47, .64]). Online positive feedback can significantly positively predict online altruistic behavior (β = .35, t = 9.55, p < .001, 95% CI = [.28, .42]) and presence of meaning (β = .15, t = 4.93, p < .001, 95% CI = [.09, .21]). Presence of meaning can significantly positively predict online altruistic behavior (β = .21, t = 4.04, p < .001, 95% CI = [.11, .30]) and search for meaning (β = .29, t = 5.04, p < .001, 95% CI = [.17, .40]). However, the predictive effect of online positive feedback on search for meaning was not significant (p > .05). The predictive effect of search for meaning on online altruistic behavior was not significant (p > .05).
The results revealed that the proactive personality of undergraduates has significant positive effects on online altruistic behavior. In the online environment, students with proactive personality can constantly explore new ways to improve their life and find better ways of doing things. In addition, the positive feedback from others can make individuals feel higher social status and popularity, thus increasing the presence of meaning in life and online altruistic behavior of undergraduates. According to the results, proactive personality can directly affect online altruism behavior in undergraduates, indirectly affect online altruism behavior through presence of meaning in life and online positive feedback. The conclusions of the study have important values to promote online altruism behavior in undergraduates.
Key words
proactive personality /
online positive feedback /
presence of meaning /
search for meaning /
online altruism behavior
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