The Neurobiological Return on Investment: A Comprehensive Analysis of How Prosocial Behavior Generates Measurable Benefits Across Individual, Organizational, and Societal Domains
Year: 2025
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This comprehensive thesis examines the empirical evidence for the proposition that "doing good deeds brings good outcomes" through an interdisciplinary analysis spanning psychology, neuroscience, business, and public health research. Drawing from meta-analyses, neuroimaging studies, and longitudinal research, this work presents a novel theoretical framework termed the "Neurobiological Return on Investment" (NROI) model, which posits that prosocial behaviors generate measurable benefits through neurobiological mechanisms that enhance individual well-being, organizational performance, and societal health outcomes. The analysis reveals consistent positive correlations between prosocial behavior and psychological well-being (r = 0.396, p < 0.01), large effect sizes for corporate social responsibility on business performance (Hedges' g = 0.841), and distinct neuroanatomical differences in extraordinary altruists including enhanced amygdala volume and responsiveness. These findings challenge traditional economic assumptions about altruism and suggest that prosocial behavior represents an evolutionarily advantageous strategy that generates tangible returns across multiple domains. The thesis concludes that doing good does indeed "pay off" through measurable neurobiological, psychological, social, and economic mechanisms.
Author: Tan, Kwan Hong
Institution: Singapore University of Social Sciences
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7116465613
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