Virtue on the Inside, Help on the Outside: The Role of Moral Identity in Adolescents’ Prosociality

Fostering prosociality in adolescents is essential for social cohesion and well-being, yet the psychological processes underlying individual differences remain understudied. Guided by moral identity theory, this research examined how moral identity internalization and symbolization relate to prosociality and whether moral elevation mediates these associations. Across three studies, moral identity internalization showed a stronger and more consistent association with prosociality than symbolization. Study 1, using cross-sectional data, found that both moral identity internalization and symbolization were related to prosociality through moral elevation. Study 2 utilized a mediation pathway analysis and found that moral identity internalization was positively associated with moral elevation and prosociality, and that moral elevation was further associated with prosociality. Study 3 employed a measurement-of-mediation design, providing additional evidence that moral elevation mediates the link between moral identity internalization and prosociality. These findings suggest that moral elevation is a key mechanism linking moral identity to prosociality and that interventions fostering moral elevation may support adolescents’ prosocial development.