Heterogeneity in Prosocial Motivations and Well-Being: A Latent Profile Analysis

Helping others improves well-being, but the reason for helping matters. This study examined individual differences in the relationship between prosocial motivation and well-being. A total of 399 undergraduate students (Mean age = 19.53, SD = 1.25) completed an online survey assessing six types of prosocial motivation, along with measures of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Latent profile analysis identified three prosocial profiles. The Idealistic Altruists (33%) showed the highest levels of altruistic motivation but low levels across the other five types of prosociality; the Instrumental Prosocials (25%) demonstrated higher levels of public prosocial motivation and moderate levels across the remaining types.; the Authentic Altruists (42%) exhibited high levels across five prosocial motivations but low levels of public prosociality. The three profiles did not differ significantly in hedonic well-being, whereas the Authentic Altruists reported greater eudaimonic well-being. These findings suggest that both altruistic and egoistic motivations are positively related to well-being, and that altruistic motivation rooted in integrated, self-congruent drives is more strongly associated with eudaimonic well-being.