Examining how and when Facebook intensive use shapes users’ online pro-social behaviors

•Facebook intensive use positively influences online pro-social behavior.•Self-transcendence mediates the Facebook intensive use-online pro-social behavior.•Time-lagged data were collected from 467 from students.•Online relationship commitment acts as a boundary condition. Despite growing research on the favorable outcomes of Facebook intensive use, there is little evidence about the role of Facebook intensive use in shaping users’ online pro-social behaviors. Building on the Uses and Gratification Theory, we propose a positive relationship between Facebook intensive use and users’ online pro-social behaviors. We also propose self-transcendence as a relevant mediator and online relationship commitment as an important boundary condition. Results based on time-lagged data from 467 (three waves, two months apart) students at a large public sector university and analyzed using structural equation modeling in Mplus (8.5) reveal a positive relationship between Facebook intensive use and online pro-social behaviors, both directly and indirectly, via self-transcendence. Moreover, online relationship commitment moderates the direct link between Facebook intensive use and self-transcendence and the indirect relationship between Facebook intensive use and online pro-social behavior. Practical implications can help promote the meaningful use of Facebook.