title: The Reciprocity of Prosocial Behavior and Positive Affect in Daily Life.
abstract: To examine whether prosocial behaviors help sustain a positive mood, we tested the dynamic reciprocal associations between prosocial behavior and positive affect (PA) in daily life. A second aim was to examine whether the personality traits Neuroticism and Extraversion moderate these associations.
  
  
  
  The study included a community sample (N = 553). Participants completed an electronic diary assessing prosocial behavior and PA three times a day over 30 days. A subsample of 322 participants filled out the NEO Five-Factor Inventory to assess Neuroticism and Extraversion. Multilevel autoregressive models were performed to examine the within-person bidirectional associations between prosocial behavior and PA and possible moderation by Neuroticism and Extraversion.
  
  
  
  Within individuals, more PA was followed by more prosocial behavior at the next assessment, and more prosocial behavior was followed by more PA. The effect of prosocial behavior on PA was stronger for individuals high on Neuroticism. Extraversion did not moderate the associations under study.
  
  
  
  The findings indicate that prosocial behavior and PA reinforce each other in daily life. Prosocial behavior seems most beneficial for individuals high on Neuroticism.
authors.affiliation: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation (ICPE).|School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University.
authors.forename: Evelien
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Snippe
authors.affiliation: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation (ICPE).|Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen.
authors.forename: Bertus F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Jeronimus
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and School of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen.
authors.forename: Marije
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aan Het Rot
authors.affiliation: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation (ICPE).|Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen.
authors.forename: Elisabeth H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Bos
authors.affiliation: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation (ICPE).|Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Jonge
authors.affiliation: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation (ICPE).
authors.forename: Marieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wichers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D005120:Extraversion, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D000075384:Neuroticism; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012919:Social Behavior; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Emotion regulation; experience sampling; intensive longitudinal methods; social behavior; time series