Prosocial behaviours under collective quarantine conditions : a latent class analysis study during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in Italy

We aimed to identify the patterns of prosocial behavioursunder collective quarantine conditions. Survey data werecollected from a sample of Italian adults during the MarchMay 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in Italy. Participantsreported on offline and online prosocial behaviours, senseof community responsibility (SoC-R) and perceptions ofcommunity resilience. Latent class analysis (LCA) was usedfor data analysis. A total of 4,045 participants completedthe survey, and 2,562 were eligible (72% female; mean age38.7 years). LCA revealed four classes of prosocial behav-iours:Money donors(7%),Online and offline helpers(59%),Online health information sharers(21%) andNeighbourhelpers(13%). The classes were partially invariant across agegroups (18-35 and 35-65 years). Being a man, havingachieved a higher educational level and higher SoC-R scoreswere associated with belonging to theOnline and offlinehelperclass. The members of this class also reported thegreatest perceptions of community resilience. The results pro-vide insight on the multidimensionality of prosociality undercollective quarantine conditions.Online and offline helperscould be targeted for promoting sustained altruism and nvolvement in community organisations. For the othergroups, programmes should aim at eliminating barriers to helpothers in multiple ways. Please refer to the SupplementaryMaterial section to find this article's Community and SocialImpact Statement