How much can personality predict prosocial behavior?

Explaining prosocial behavior is a central goal in classic and contemporary behavioral science. Here, for the first time, we apply modern machine learning techniques to uncover the full predictive potential that personality traits have for prosocial behavior. We utilize a large-scale dataset (N = 2,707; 81 personality traits) and state-of-the-art statistical models to predict an incentivized measure of prosocial behavior, Social Value Orientation (SVO). We conclude: (1) traits explain 13.9% of the variance in SVO; (2) linear models are sufficient to obtain good prediction; (3) trait–trait interactions do not improve prediction; (4) narrow traits improve prediction beyond basic personality (i.e., the HEXACO); (5) testing if a trait correlates above r = .20 with SVO is a good proxy for whether it will aid prediction in multivariate analyses. Overall, our study provides a benchmark for how well personality predicts SVO and charts a course toward better prediction of prosocial behavior.