Abstract

Various religions consider prosocial behavior a duty and a value within their communities of believers. Scientific evidence has linked prosociality to the resolution of various social and environmental issues. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of religion and gratitude on prosocial behavior. A quantitative methodology, a cross-sectional design, and a convenience sample of 206 adults in Chile were utilized. Scales of religiosity, gratitude, and prosociality were administered. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests, Chi-square tests, Spearman correlations, and linear regression. It was found that individuals who reported attending a religious community exhibited higher levels of prosocial behavior, and that the type of prosocial response among those who identified as religious differed depending on whether the beneficiary belonged to the religious in-group or out-group. Additionally, individuals who expressed gratitude towards a deity demonstrated higher levels of prosocial behavior compared to those who did not experience gratitude. Finally, it was observed that prosociality, religion, and gratitude variables were positively correlated, and the latter two variables served as predictors of prosociality.