YOUNG PEOPLE'S PATH FROM CRITICAL MOTIVATION TO PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOUR: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF EMPATHY AND FAIRNESS

The present research explores the relationship between critical motivation, prosocial behaviour, empathy, and fairness as a moral foundation. Even though critical consciousness was linked to prosocial activity, the mechanisms through which critical consciousness components influence prosocial behaviour remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated the mediating role of empathy and fairness as a moral foundation in the relationship between critical motivation and prosocial behaviour. The study involved 308 young people aged 18-24. Participants were recruited from various urban high schools and universities, and invited to complete a set of questionnaires. The results show the importance of critical motivation as a predictor of prosocial behaviour. Also, indicate that empathy and fairness mediated the effects of critical motivation when it comes to prosocial behaviour. Further, the results indicate that in the case of fairness mediational suppression is present. These results provide insight into a mechanism through which critical motivation may affect behaviour and the engagement of young people in various social contexts. Also, it may underline the significance of considering the role of several factors simultaneously for increasing the understanding of the role of critical consciousness components on social behaviour.