Cross-National Replication of Prosocial Simulation Effect Using Cumulative Link Mixed Modelling.

Previous work has found mentally simulating events of helping others can enhance prosocial intentions. However, to date, this "prosocial simulation effect" (PSE) has only been demonstrated in North America. We provide the first preregistered replication of PSE outside of North America in a New Zealand sample, following existing protocols (Experiment 1: N = 40) and with modifications to rule out an additional confound (Experiment 2: N = 40). Moreover, given evidence that metric models are problematic for assessing ordinal data, we conducted cumulative link model (CLM)-based analyses. Both experiments provide statistically robust support for the PSE outside of North America, lending greater credence to this effect. We also show that, relative to CLM-based analyses, metric models can underestimate effects in ordinal data, yielding inconsistent results across near-identical experimental designs. We consider this issue against the backdrop of the replication crisis and recommend the use of CLM-based analyses in all research reliant on ordinal scales. General Audience Summary: Can imagination increase intentions to help others? Recent evidence suggests it can act to increase one's willingness to help a stranger in need. Thus, imagination could be a key tool for increasing prosocial intentions in people across the globe. However, existing studies demonstrating this effect are primarily from the United States, so it remains unknown whether imagination has the same effect on prosocial intentions across nations and cultures. This is critical because, even within Western countries, baseline levels of prosociality vary, with the United States being at one extreme. We conducted the first preregistered examination of this effect outside of North America with participants from New Zealand. Furthermore, we used statistical approaches more appropriate for the type of data collected in these studies. Across two experiments, we demonstrate that the enhancing effect of imagination on prosocial intentions is statistically robust and evident cross-nationally. Future work is needed to translate these findings to real-world contexts to increase cooperation as modern society deals with significant global challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]