Karma Belief as a Predictor of Prosocial Behavior: A Cross-Sectional Study from India

Abstract

Background: Karma refers to the belief, often rooted in religious, philosophical, or secular traditions that good actions lead to positive outcomes, potentially encouraging kind behavior. Prosocial behavior involves voluntary actions intended to benefit others, such as helping or sharing. While belief in karma has been theoretically linked to prosocial tendencies, its predictive relationship remains underexplored. Aim: This study examined whether belief in karma predicts prosocial behavior. Methods: A correlational design was used with 100 participants (62% female, 36% male, 2% non-binary/other) aged 18-40 years completing an online questionnaire. The Karma Belief Scale (White et al., 2019) and Prosocial Behavior Scale (Caprara et al., 2005) were used to measure belief in karma and exhibition of prosocial behavior, respectively. Analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product moment correlation, and linear regression analysis. Results: Participants reported moderate levels of both karma belief (M = 61.81, SD = 12.42) and prosocial behavior (M = 64.87, SD = 8.72). Analysis revealed a weak but significant positive correlation between the variables (r = .236, p < .05). Likewise, regression analysis indicated karma belief accounted for 5.6% of the variance in prosocial behavior. Conclusion: While results suggest karma belief’s weak associations with prosocial actions, the modest effect size implies other factors play substantial roles. These findings suggest that fostering karma-related beliefs alone may not be sufficient to promote prosocial behavior without additional reinforcement from social and psychological factors. Future research should investigate cultural moderators and causal mechanisms through experimental designs.