Prosocial behavior in convicted offenders: A scoping review

Despite considerable interest and relevance to the broader community, prosocial behavior in prisons remains an understudied topic. The purpose of the present study was to summarize existing research on prosocial behavior among incarcerated offenders. A complex search of three electronic citation da...

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Main Authors: Liliana HUREZAN, Sara Maria JUGANARU, Ioana-Anastasia GORAN, Elena Emanuela VELICEA, Laura VISU-PETRA
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai 2024-12-01
Series:Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai. Psychologia-Paedagogia
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Online Access:https://studia.reviste.ubbcluj.ro/index.php/subbpsypaed/article/view/8722
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author Liliana HUREZAN
Sara Maria JUGANARU
Ioana-Anastasia GORAN
Elena Emanuela VELICEA
Laura VISU-PETRA
author_facet Liliana HUREZAN
Sara Maria JUGANARU
Ioana-Anastasia GORAN
Elena Emanuela VELICEA
Laura VISU-PETRA
author_sort Liliana HUREZAN
collection DOAJ
description Despite considerable interest and relevance to the broader community, prosocial behavior in prisons remains an understudied topic. The purpose of the present study was to summarize existing research on prosocial behavior among incarcerated offenders. A complex search of three electronic citation databases (Google Scholar, Web of Science, and PsychInfo) was conducted, covering articles published in the last decade (January 2012 to December 2023). Of the 248 articles initially found, only 12 were included in the scoping review after eligibility screening. The included studies reported on prosocial behavior as measured by self-report questionnaires or experimental tasks/economic games and were conducted with incarcerated offenders. A first set of studies aimed to assess prisoners' self-reported prosocial behavior, while a second set of studies provided a less subjective approach to offender prosociality by using a variety of games that allowed for the investigation of two main types of actual prosocial behavior: resource sharing and reciprocal prosocial behavior (cooperation). Existing studies conducted in prisons provide valuable insights into different types of prosociality and the factors that may influence offenders' decisions to engage in prosocial behavior. Further research is needed, particularly using ecological methods reflecting actual prosocial behavior in high-stakes settings to get an accurate picture of the authenticity of prosociality among convicted offenders.
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publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai
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series Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai. Psychologia-Paedagogia
spelling doaj-art-4e4ed593b9c44538932f0a2dc26e7ed12025-01-21T11:00:54ZengStudia Universitatis Babes-BolyaiStudia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai. Psychologia-Paedagogia2065-94312024-12-0169210.24193/subbpsyped.2024.2.05Prosocial behavior in convicted offenders: A scoping reviewLiliana HUREZAN0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2542-366XSara Maria JUGANARU1Ioana-Anastasia GORAN2Elena Emanuela VELICEA3Laura VISU-PETRA4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6905-9279Research Lab in Individual Differences and Legal Psychology (RIDDLE), Department of Psychology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca; Arad Penitentiary, RomaniaUniversity of Groningen, The NetherlandsResearch Lab in Individual Differences and Legal Psychology (RIDDLE), Department of Psychology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca RomaniaResearch Lab in Individual Differences and Legal Psychology (RIDDLE), Department of Psychology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca RomaniaResearch Lab in Individual Differences and Legal Psychology (RIDDLE), Department of Psychology, Babeș-Bolyai University; Department of Social and Human Research, Romanian Academy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Email: laurapetra@psychology.ro Despite considerable interest and relevance to the broader community, prosocial behavior in prisons remains an understudied topic. The purpose of the present study was to summarize existing research on prosocial behavior among incarcerated offenders. A complex search of three electronic citation databases (Google Scholar, Web of Science, and PsychInfo) was conducted, covering articles published in the last decade (January 2012 to December 2023). Of the 248 articles initially found, only 12 were included in the scoping review after eligibility screening. The included studies reported on prosocial behavior as measured by self-report questionnaires or experimental tasks/economic games and were conducted with incarcerated offenders. A first set of studies aimed to assess prisoners' self-reported prosocial behavior, while a second set of studies provided a less subjective approach to offender prosociality by using a variety of games that allowed for the investigation of two main types of actual prosocial behavior: resource sharing and reciprocal prosocial behavior (cooperation). Existing studies conducted in prisons provide valuable insights into different types of prosociality and the factors that may influence offenders' decisions to engage in prosocial behavior. Further research is needed, particularly using ecological methods reflecting actual prosocial behavior in high-stakes settings to get an accurate picture of the authenticity of prosociality among convicted offenders. https://studia.reviste.ubbcluj.ro/index.php/subbpsypaed/article/view/8722prosocial behaviorsocial behaviorEconomic gamesprisonersincarcerated offenders
spellingShingle Liliana HUREZAN
Sara Maria JUGANARU
Ioana-Anastasia GORAN
Elena Emanuela VELICEA
Laura VISU-PETRA
Prosocial behavior in convicted offenders: A scoping review
Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai. Psychologia-Paedagogia
prosocial behavior
social behavior
Economic games
prisoners
incarcerated offenders
title Prosocial behavior in convicted offenders: A scoping review
title_full Prosocial behavior in convicted offenders: A scoping review
title_fullStr Prosocial behavior in convicted offenders: A scoping review
title_full_unstemmed Prosocial behavior in convicted offenders: A scoping review
title_short Prosocial behavior in convicted offenders: A scoping review
title_sort prosocial behavior in convicted offenders a scoping review
topic prosocial behavior
social behavior
Economic games
prisoners
incarcerated offenders
url https://studia.reviste.ubbcluj.ro/index.php/subbpsypaed/article/view/8722
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AT saramariajuganaru prosocialbehaviorinconvictedoffendersascopingreview
AT ioanaanastasiagoran prosocialbehaviorinconvictedoffendersascopingreview
AT elenaemanuelavelicea prosocialbehaviorinconvictedoffendersascopingreview
AT lauravisupetra prosocialbehaviorinconvictedoffendersascopingreview