The Emigration of Pro-social Behaviors: A Comparative Analysis of Colombian and US Latter-day Saints

Scholars have studied the differences in pro-social behaviors among countries for over 50 years. Religious participation in the USA is one of the factors that lead to comparatively higher rates of giving and volunteering. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is known for the highest rates of pro-social behaviors in the USA, but do members of this US-based religion exhibit the same levels of giving and volunteering in other countries? Using a prior study of 2664 Latter-day Saints in the USA, we administered the same survey to 1719 Latter-day Saints in Colombia, measuring volunteer activity, charitable giving, as well as religious beliefs, and attitudes toward giving and volunteering. We found a variety of relatively small differences between the groups. However, the comparative similarities in pro-social behaviors indicate strong organizational influences that have effectively shaped high rates of these behaviors across countries.