Prosocial Behaviour and Moral Judgement among Adults

Prosocial behaviour refers to voluntary actions intended to benefit others, including helping, sharing, comforting, and cooperating. Moral judgement is the cognitive process through which individuals evaluate actions as right or wrong based on ethical principles and social norms. Although previous research has examined these constructs in children and adolescents, limited evidence is available among Indian adults. The present study examined the relationship between prosocial behaviour and moral judgement and investigated whether prosocial behaviour predicts moral judgement among adults. A quantitative correlational research design was employed with a sample of 100 adults. Prosocial behaviour and moral judgement were assessed using standardized psychological measures. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product-moment correlation, and simple linear regression. The findings revealed a statistically significant moderate positive relationship between prosocial behaviour and moral judgement (r = .517, p < .001). Simple linear regression demonstrated that prosocial behaviour significantly predicted moral judgement, explaining 26.7% of the variance (R² = .267, F (1,98) = 35.74, p < .001). These findings suggest that individuals exhibiting greater prosocial tendencies also demonstrate stronger moral judgement. The study contributes to understanding moral functioning among adults and provides implications for educational, organizational, and community interventions aimed at promoting ethical behaviour and social responsibility.