Moral Identity Fosters Adolescent Prosocial Behavior: The Mediating Role of Moral Elevation

Grounded in the theory of moral identity, the present research investigated the effects of two dimensions of moral identity, internalization and symbolization, on prosocial behavior, as well as the mediating role of moral elevation. Across three studies, we employed both correlational and experimental methodologies to establish the relationships among these constructs.

Study 1, a cross-sectional survey, demonstrated that both moral identity internalization and symbolization are positively associated with prosocial behavioral tendencies, with moral elevation mediating these associations. Study 2 utilized an experimental causal-chain design to establish causal pathways, showing that moral identity internalization increased prosocial behavior (Study 2a) and moral elevation (Study 2b), while moral elevation, in turn, enhanced prosocial behavior (Study 2c).