Sharing the Same Boat: The Impact of Common Fate on Intergroup Prosocial Behavior Tendency in Negative Situations and Its Mechanism

ABSTRACT Eliminating intergroup estrangement and promoting intergroup cooperation are pressing issues in contemporary society. Intergroup prosocial behavior is an important indicator reflecting intergroup relations. Common fate refers to the shared outcomes experienced by individuals or groups as a result of external forces. Awakening people’s sense of common fate may have a positive effect on promoting inter group cooperation and pro social behavior. However, previous studies examining the effects of common fate have produced inconsistent results. Three studies ( N = 1703) were conducted to examine the influence of common fate on intergroup prosocial behavior tendency in negative situations, as well as the mediating effect of emotional bonding and the moderating effect of basic psychological needs. The results demonstrate that common fate can promote intergroup prosocial behavior tendency under negative circumstances, with emotional bonding playing a mediating role. Furthermore, the basic psychological needs proposed by self‐determination theory moderates the relationship between common fate and emotional bonding. Specifically, for individuals with higher basic psychological needs, the experience of common fate is more likely to lead to stronger emotional bonding. This paper contributes to the existing literature on common fate and prosocial behavior, while simultaneously providing effective strategies for mitigating intergroup conflicts and fostering positive intergroup relations.