Does size really matter?: The relationship between the number of outgroups and prosocial behavior

The act of helping others, also known as prosocial behavior, has been the topic of a robust amount of research literature in the past few decades. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between Greek system size and perceived prosocial behaviors toward outgroup members. Participants completed an online questionnaire with items measuring group commitment, intergroup conflict, intergroup contact, and prosocial behavior. Participants were 80 full-time Greek students attending either William Jewell College, University of Central Missouri, or University of Missouri, Columbia. The results suggest that Greek system size does not affect individuals' prosocial behaviors towards outgroup members. However, group commitment significantly predicted participants' level of helping outgroup members. Additional research regarding the effect group membership has on intergroup cooperation, instead of interpersonal helping, may be the next step in this line of research.