Prosocial Behavior of College Students: A Self-determination Perspective

Students’ prosocial behavior refers to self-determination motivation with the aim of helping others and a caring attitude. The purpose of this research study is to explore the role of college students’ prosocial behavior in terms of self-determination. The age of college students is in the early adulthood category. The research approach in this study is to use a qualitative approach with literature study techniques. The result of this study is that the role of students’ prosocial behavior in terms of self-determination is the existence of students’ autonomous interest and motivation to behave prosocially in real terms. Autonomous prosocial motivation is manifested as the regulation of prosocial behavior determined by the individual himself, the interest and pleasure to help others without coercion from others. However, individuals who are motivated to be prosocial because they want to avoid guilt and shame may cause individuals to experience more negative emotions. This study implies that the role of autonomous motivation as part of self-determination theory becomes strong evidence in individuals achieving desired goals, and specifically also evidence of individuals performing highly prosocial behavior. Keywords: college students, prosocial behavior, self-determination