Why neurotic individuals are less prosocial? A multiple mediation analysis regarding related mechanisms

Previous literature suggests a negative link between neuroticism and prosocial behavior (PSB). Based on theoretical rationale on why personality traits have consequential effects on important life outcomes, this study adopted multiple mediation analysis to investigate the mechanisms by which neuroticism leads to less PSB. Social anxiety, empathy, social self-efficacy, self-esteem, and emotional intelligence (EI) were introduced as mediators. Self-reported measures of the abovementioned traits were administrated to 1461 undergraduate students. The results showed that: (1) there was a negative association between neuroticism and PSB; (2) lower levels of social self-efficacy, EI, perspective taking, and empathic concern could primarily account for the negative association between neuroticism and PSB; (3) neuroticism might facilitate PSB via higher levels of personal distress; (4) the abovementioned mediators completely mediated the effect of neuroticism on PSB, and the multiple mediation effect was not moderated by gender. We inferred that if PSB does not require interpersonal interaction, or the social interaction is less anxiety provoking, the negative effect of neuroticism on PSB may disappear. Additionally, if highly neurotic individuals' social self-efficacy, EI, and empathy were elevated, they may act as prosocially as others.