What makes behaviour prosocial or antisocial?
Prosocial and antisocial behaviour: defining each, the role of deindividuation, and how social factors and the presence of others influence helping and harming behaviour.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Psychology 3.5, covering prosocial and antisocial behaviour, the role of deindividuation, and how social factors and the presence of others influence helping and harming behaviour.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to define prosocial and antisocial behaviour, explain the role of deindividuation, and explain how social factors and the presence of others influence helping and harming behaviour. This is part of Social influence in Paper 2, examined with definition, explanation and applied items, so know the terms and the deindividuation mechanism.
Defining prosocial and antisocial behaviour
The two are opposites in their effect on others. Note that "antisocial" here means harmful or norm-breaking behaviour, not simply being quiet or unsociable, which is a common everyday misunderstanding.
Deindividuation
How others and social factors influence behaviour
The presence of others and social factors can encourage either prosocial or antisocial behaviour. Group norms matter: if a group's behaviour is helpful, individuals tend to help; if it is aggressive, deindividuation can amplify the aggression. Anonymity tends to increase antisocial behaviour by reducing accountability, while being identifiable tends to increase prosocial behaviour. Modelling also operates: seeing others help (a prosocial model) makes helping more likely, while seeing others behave aggressively makes antisocial behaviour more likely. This links closely to bystander behaviour, where the presence of others can reduce helping.
Try this
Q1. Define prosocial behaviour. [2 marks]
- Cue. Behaviour intended to help or benefit others, such as helping or sharing.
Q2. Define deindividuation. [2 marks]
- Cue. A state of lost individual identity and personal responsibility, usually through anonymity or being in a crowd.
Q3. Explain one way the presence of others can increase prosocial behaviour. [2 marks]
- Cue. Seeing others help (a prosocial model) or positive group norms make helping more likely.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20193 marksExplain what is meant by prosocial behaviour and antisocial behaviour. (Paper 2, Section A)Show worked answer →
A 3-mark item that rewards a clear definition of each plus an example.
Prosocial behaviour is behaviour that is intended to help or benefit other people, such as helping someone who has fallen, sharing, or donating to charity. Antisocial behaviour is behaviour that harms others or goes against the accepted standards of society, such as aggression, bullying or vandalism. The two are opposites in terms of their effect on others: prosocial benefits people, antisocial harms them or breaks social rules.
Markers reward both definitions (helping or benefiting versus harming or breaking social norms), ideally with an example of each. A common error is to define antisocial as simply "being shy or unsociable", which is not what the term means here.
AQA 20224 marksExplain how deindividuation can lead to antisocial behaviour. (Paper 2, Section A)Show worked answer →
A 4-mark Explain item rewards a definition of deindividuation plus a clear causal link to antisocial behaviour.
Deindividuation is a psychological state in which a person loses their sense of individual identity and personal responsibility, usually when they are part of a large group or crowd or are anonymous (for example, in a mask or online). In this state people feel less identifiable and less accountable for their actions, and they are more likely to go along with the behaviour of the group, including aggressive or rule-breaking behaviour they would normally avoid. This can lead to antisocial behaviour such as crowd violence or online abuse.
Markers reward defining deindividuation (loss of personal identity and responsibility through anonymity or being in a crowd) and explaining how reduced accountability raises the chance of antisocial acts.
Related dot points
- Conformity: Asch's study of majority influence, the factors affecting conformity (group size, anonymity and task difficulty), and the reasons people conform.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Psychology 3.5, covering conformity, Asch's study of majority influence, the factors affecting conformity (group size, anonymity and task difficulty) and the reasons people conform.
- Obedience: Milgram's agency theory, the factors affecting obedience (proximity, location and uniform), and dispositional factors such as the authoritarian personality.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Psychology 3.5, covering obedience, Milgram's agency theory, the factors affecting obedience (proximity, location and uniform) and dispositional factors such as the authoritarian personality.
- Bystander behaviour: the bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility, and the situational and personal factors that affect whether people help.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Psychology 3.5, covering bystander behaviour, the bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility, and the situational and personal factors that affect whether people help in an emergency.
- Explanations of non-verbal behaviour: the nature view that it is innate and the nurture view that it is learned, with evidence such as facial expressions in babies and cross-cultural studies.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Psychology 3.6, covering explanations of non-verbal behaviour, the nature view that it is innate and the nurture view that it is learned, with supporting evidence such as facial expressions in babies and cross-cultural studies.
Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Psychology (8182) specification — AQA (2017)