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Title: People in More Racially Diverse Neighborhoods are More Prosocial

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2018

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Abstract: Five studies tested the hypothesis that people living in more diverse neighborhoods would have more inclusive identities, and would thus be more prosocial. Study 1 found that people residing in more racially diverse metropolitan areas were more likely to tweet prosocial concepts in their everyday lives. Study 2 found that following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, people in more racially diverse neighborhoods were more likely to spontaneously offer help to individuals stranded by the bombings. Study 3 found that people living in more ethnically diverse countries were more likely to report having helped a stranger in the past month. Providing evidence of the underlying mechanism, Study 4 found that people living in more racially diverse neighborhoods were more likely to identify with all of humanity, which explained their greater likelihood of having helped a stranger in the past month. Finally, providing causal evidence for the relationship between neighborhood diversity and prosociality, Study 5 found that people asked to imagine that they were living in a more racially diverse neighborhood were more willing to help others in need, and this effect was mediated by a broader identity. The studies identify a novel mechanism through which exposure to diversity can influence people, and document a novel consequence of this mechanism.

Url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29620398

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Authors: Nai, Jared; Narayanan, Jayanth; Hernandez, Ivan; Savani, Krishna

Periodical (Full): Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Issue: 4

Volume: 114

Pages: 497-515

Data Collections: IPUMS CPS

Topics: Land Use/Urban Organization, Other, Race and Ethnicity

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