The Development of Prosociality: From Philosophy to Neuroscience

Dear Colleagues,

Prosociality refers to behaviours intended to benefit others at a personal cost, involving helping, sharing, and volunteering behaviour. Three key aspects define prosociality: (i) the agent intentionally performs the act (ii) to benefit others (iii) without selfish motivations. These behaviours have been studied from various perspectives, including philosophy, psychology, ethology, and economics. In developmental psychology, studies on early prosocial development have shown that infants engage in helping, sharing, and comforting just months after birth. However, little is known about the neural correlates of early prosociality—whether a single neurocognitive mechanism underlies different forms of prosocial behaviour or if distinct mechanisms exist for each. Furthermore, the impact of technological development on the traditional conceptualization of human nature and the formation of the moral self has asserted its influence on developmental and behavioural choices. Thus, the aim of this Special Issue is to present recent interdisciplinary research in order to understand the changes in prosociality in humans brought about by new technologies.

Types of papers expected:

• Review papers;
• Brief reports;
• Research papers.

Dr. Bahia Guellaï
Guest Editor

Dr. Mayilin Moreno
Guest Editor Assistant

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