The relations among prosocial behavior, hedonic, and eudaimonic well‐being in everyday life

Abstract Introduction Existing research highlights the significance of prosocial behavior (voluntary, intentional behavior that results in benefits for another) to people's well‐being. Yet, the extent to which this expected positive relation operates at the within‐person level (e.g., is more prosocial behavior than usual related to a higher than usual level of well‐being?) while taking into account stable interindividual differences, remains a research question that deserves further investigation. In this study, we aimed to explore the relations between prosocial behavior and hedonic (HWB; subjective assessment of life satisfaction and happiness) and eudaimonic (EWB; actualization of human potential in alignment with personal goals, including concepts like meaning in life and closeness to others) well‐being in daily life. Method Using ecological momentary assessment for 4 weeks, data were collected from two British samples, comprising 82 adolescents and 166 adults. Results Dynamic Structural Equation Modeling revealed a positive relations between prosocial behavior and HWB/EWB at both between and within‐person levels across the samples. Conclusion In summary, these findings further support the positive link between prosocial behavior and well‐being in everyday life. Notably, this association was consistent across different age groups (adolescent and adults) at both between and within‐person levels.