Motivational underpinnings of successful support giving: Compassionate goals promote matching support provision

What enables people to give support that effectively addresses others' needs? Four studies examined the role of prosocial motivation, namely, compassionate goals, in providing support that addresses recipients' needs (‘matching’ support). Because people with compassionate goals are motivated to promote others' well-being, this study hypothesizes that they would be more likely to engage in perspective taking, which should help them identify and give matching support. Consistent with this hypothesis, providers' compassionate goals were associated with a greater intention to give matching support (Studies 1–3) and giving matching support in the real world (Study 4). This effect was partially mediated by providers' greater perspective taking of recipients' needs (Study 3). Collectively, these studies highlight the role of prosocial motivations in successful support provision.