personality trait, meaning in life, altruism behavior, prosocial behavior
Abstract
This study investigated the mediating role of meaning in life in the relationship between three personality traits—agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience—and altruistic behavior among undergraduate students from a collectivist cultural context. We hypothesized that meaning in life would mediate the effect of each trait on altruism. Results revealed that meaning in life fully mediates the relationship between agreeableness and altruism, partially mediated the association between conscientiousness and altruism, and did not mediate the relationship between openness to experience and altruism. These findings emphasize the role of meaning in life as a motivational mechanism between personality and prosocial behavior and provide culturally grounded insights into virtue development. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed.