Social support and prosocial decisions in times of distress: Helping a single recipient versus multiple recipients

This study examined the link between perceived social support and prosocial behavior during a period of collective crisis, focusing on decisions to help either a single or multiple recipients. Two studies were conducted—one with adolescents (Study 1, N = 192) and one with university students (Study 2, N = 196). Participants first reported their perceived social support and recent volunteering activities during the crisis. A week later, they were randomly assigned to one of two between-subjects conditions, in which they were asked about their willingness to help either a single student or multiple students experiencing the same need. Results showed a significant singularity effect in both groups: participants were more willing to help a single recipient than multiple ones. Among adolescents, higher perceived social support was consistently associated with greater volunteering and willingness to help, regardless of the recipient. Among adults, social support attenuated the singularity effect, such that participants who perceived higher levels of social support during the crisis were less affected by the recipient's singularity in their helping decisions. These findings highlight the role of social support in promoting prosocial behavior and mitigating biases in helping decisions during times of collective distress, with distinct patterns across developmental stages. • Social support predicted greater prosociality among adolescents during crisis. • The Singularity effect was evident in prosocial decisions among adolescents and adults. • Social support reduced adults' bias for helping one over many recipients. • Social support plays a distinct role in prosocial behavior across developmental stages. • Support systems shape helping choices during times of collective distress.