When the “other side” follows your lead: How dissociative imitation of prosocial goals fosters goal persistence and goal cooperation

Abstract

Despite the rising prominence of prosocial goals, sustaining long-term engagement remains hindered by the moral licensing effect. Grounded in social influence theory, this research investigates how goal imitation by dissociative groups affects an individual’s subsequent prosocial goal pursuit. Across five studies using varied prosocial goal contexts and dissociative group stimuli, we find that imitation of prosocial goal by dissociative group will increase imitated individual’s perceived responsibility, which in turn promotes their goal persistence and cooperation intentions. However, this positive effect is moderated by incentive form: symbolic (identity-relevant) incentives activate identity concerns and attenuate the beneficial impact of goal imitation. This research advances the literature on dissociative groups by identifying a cooperative mechanism, extends the goal incentive literature by revealing incentive form as a critical boundary condition, and offers practical insights for charitable organizations seeking to sustain long-term prosocial engagement.