Changing our collective behavior is crucial to saving lives in the face of a new infectious disease. To mitigate the potentially devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is vital to identify psychosocial and moral resources [1]. The care, preservation, protection, and well-being of social communities (another person, team, social organization, etc.) are attributes of prosocial behavior that can be such a resource. Addressing the prosocial orientation of an individual can be an important aspect of the response to social dilemmas during the pandemic [2].

Psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, biologists have noted that prosocial behavior is a central aspect of human life and the focus of research in the natural and social sciences [3]. Prosocial behavior refers to a broad category of acts that are generally beneficial to other people or society and includes behaviors such as cooperating, resource sharing, and helping [4, 5]. The prosocial orientation of an individual is characterized by a system of motivations associated with activities for the benefit of others and society as a whole, with a sense of duty, responsibility to the group or society. In the case of prosocial orientation, the individual is identified with the group.

Prosocial orientation and behavior can be based on both moral norms based on the principles of justice and care, and selfish motives based on the satisfaction of one's own needs. Based on an interdisciplinary approach and anthropological research results, the intentionality of morality in the relationship between self-caring and caring for others has been established, revealing the paradox of self-caring: “the self-care ability develops when we care for others” [6-9].

Human values and social norms are essential in creating the possibility that people obey behavioral demands and display prosocial behavior. There is evidence that values of self-transcendence and security [1, 10-13] predict prosocial behaviors (charity, voluntary assistance, cooperation, empathy).

Thus, the values shared by society may be a key binding factor in promoting the collective prosocial orientation necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the value-semantic component of the prosocial orientation that determines the main relations of a person to the world and to himself. In this intention, the conditionality of prosocial behavior manifests itself. This relationship is the basis for the study of value orientations, as well as preferred strategies of prosocial behavior during the transformation of social interactions caused by COVID-19 [14].

The sample consisted of 447 people (41% men, 59% women) aged between 17 to 25 years (M=20), university students in Moscow, Ivanovo, Kostroma, Yaroslavl; 57.7% - had experience in volunteer activities. A sampling is formed from young persons because they are the most active and mobile part of society, involved in various social processes (including volunteering - as a form of prosocial behavior), and are faster to respond to the changes and adapt to them, including those related to the moral and value orientations. The procedure of “convenience” sampling was used; the students voluntarily took part in the research for additional points in the academic ranking.

The study was conducted in May 2020 in the form of an online survey of subjects using Google Forms. The prosocial orientation was assessed based on indicators of the value orientations.

The initial stimulus used for the survey was, “During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that people take care of the health and well-being of others. Care can be expressed in donations, participation in volunteer actions, psychological support, observance of social distance and rules of behavior, etc. Answer the questions given the COVID-19 pandemic situation”.

Value orientations were investigated using a shortened version of the “Portrait Values Questionnaire” methodology (PVQ-21) (Sh. Schwartz, adapted in Russian by Davidov et al., 2008). This methodology is based on the value classification developed by Schwartz and assesses seven typological value indices (scales): “security” (safety and stability of society, relations and oneself), “conformance-tradition” (containing actions and motives that may harm others and do not meet social norms), “self-direction”, “stimulation”, “hedonism”, “achievement-power ” (social status, domination over people and resources), “care for people and nature” (benevolence, universalism). The subject evaluates 21 descriptions of people characterized by certain values on a 6-point scale - from “1 - not at all like me” to “6 - very similar to me”.

The resulting empirical data were processed using Friedman's two-factor dispersion analysis for related samples, factor analysis (using Varimax rotation with Kaiser Normalization), Mann-Whitney U-test. Calculations were made based on the SPSS 23 statistical software package.

To identify the value orientations (indices) using the PVQ-21 method, arithmetic mean (from 1 to 6) was calculated for each scale since the scales were measured in different ranges. The research made it possible to establish that for all scales of the PVQ-21 method, the average values correspond to the average level of formation of value indices (from 3 to 4 points). Friedman's two-factor dispersion analysis (Table 1) was used to identify dominant value orientations in the sample under study.

To test the second hypothesis of three prosocial behavioral strategies (“caring for others”, “self-care through caring for others”, and “self-care”) during the COVID-19 pandemic, factor analysis was conducted. Results of the factor analysis determined three factors (Table 2). We applied R. Cattell’s screen-test to determine the number of factors and made a scree plot for that purpose. The Point of inflection (K) of the eigenvalues determined the number of factors prior to the straight line after its sharp decline. The screen-test allows identifying the number of factors equal to K-1. K, K+1. We used K+1 quantity. The cumulative percentage (which indicates the informativeness of all factors) constitutes 72.52%, which is an acceptable result. When interpreting the factors, we only considered those with factor loadings exceeding 0.6.

To study the impact of the “volunteer experience” on the prosocial orientation during the COVID-19 pandemic (according to indicators of values orientation), we compared two groups using Mann-Whitney U-test (Table 3).

The data in Table 1 show that participants were dominated by the value of benevolence-universalism.

The factor analysis allowed distinguishing three types of social orientations of participants during the COVID-19 pandemic (Table 2).

The first type of social orientation can be characterized as “caring for others” proactive prosocial strategy. This type is defined by the values of benevolence (universalism, fairness), self-discretion, and stimulation (PVQ-21). Harvey and Erdos note that the psychological factors of risk-assisted behavior in an emergency area are altruism, heroism, and prosocial orientation of the individual [42]. Studies conducted in Spain showed that the health threat of COVID-19 predicted a tendency to express altruistic prosocial actions [43].

The second type of social orientation, defined by the values of security and conformism (PVQ-21), can be described as a conventional strategy. Conventional norms directly relate to the “self-care” prosocial strategy through respect for sanitary standards and norms of social distance. Ceylan & Hayran note that compliance with restrictive measures is considered as prosocial behavior based on social responsibility [44]. V.R. Keiselman calls introjection a way to implement prosocial behavior. The introjection mechanism helps to suppress conflict with the dominant worldview and adapts a person to reality [45]. One of the factors of prosocial behavior and caring for others in a crisis is the emerging sense of common identity and collectivism, which stem from a common experience of being in straitened circumstances [46, 47]. Politi et al. found that prosocial attitudes during the COVID-2019 pandemic are driven by collective values and solidarity [48]. Developing a sense of loyalty can help coordinate threat management efforts and promote group commitment and social norms [49-51]. In doing so, the authorities (leaders) can have a significant impact on prosocial behavior by acting as role models [52, 53].

The third type of social orientation can be described as a selfish strategy, “self-caring through caring for others”, defined by the values of hedonism and achievement-power (PVQ-21). A study conducted by Guo et al. found that prosocial coping with psychological pressures and stresses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to reducing mental health problems [37]. Banerjee & Nair indicate that mutual help is an element of psychosocial intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic [54].

Yu Yamamoto, psychologist of the Tokyo Mental Health, among the measures to minimize the psychological consequences of the pandemic, points out the importance of altruism, empathy, and prosocial behavior not only about those who are important but also about those who are in a difficult situation (it can be one short phone call and one email). Yamamoto notes that as social animals, we humans strive for contact, compassion, and concern for nature and others [55].

O.I. Mahovskaya, replying to the question “How to behave in self-isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic?” notes that those who help others survive in difficult periods generally live long [56].

R. Leahy developed a scheme, “What do I want to be during the COVID-19 pandemic?” which includes the position “I think about others and how I can help them” in the growth zone. Leahy offers the following recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic: “Be supportive, ask for help and offer help! There is nothing more satisfying than to help a lonely person who is struggling or to help your loved ones, especially the elderly and the weak. Our feelings of belonging, gratitude, mutual support, and the substances that the body produces when we help others are the best immune assistants we have now” [57]. Thus, the strategy “I am for the World” becomes a resource for human development and psychological security [58].

The conducted research has shown that people experienced in volunteering have more developed values of self-direction and stimulation (Table 3). Thus, the volunteers’ motives for providing assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic are primarily related to self-actualization [25].

One can expect prosocial behavior to manifest itself in different ways depending on individuals' group identity, psychological well-being, altruistic norms, and volunteers’ experience to the extent that different emergencies affect the human psyche.

Despite any cross-cultural differences, the global data convincingly show that it is useful to activate values of self-transcendence and security in order to motivate people's behavior to support the mitigation of the pandemic. To reduce any negative social and psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, society and authorities should not rely on fear but collective control, compassion, support, and solidarity. Studies show that cultures that are accustomed to prefer security to freedom are easier to coordinate in the face of a pandemic.

The results of numerous studies in social psychology, clinical psychology, personality psychology, and neuropsychology have shown that “Self” maturity becomes the basis for compassion and caring for the Other. The self-care ability develops when one cares for others. The Other becomes a necessary participant in the process of self-consciousness and the formation of one's own identity. In emergencies, prosocial behavior can be a coping strategy.

Based on the obtained data analysis, it has been established that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the prosocial orientation may manifest itself in the following behavioral strategies: proactive prosocial strategy of “caring for others” (true altruism, expressed in forms of volunteering, helping a stranger, and charity despite the risk of contracting a coronavirus infection); egoistic strategy of prosocial behavior “self-care through caring for others” (volunteering based on self-development; helping a stranger to improve your own psychological well-being); conventional prosocial strategy “self-care” (self-isolation and preventive behavior).

In the long run, it is necessary to identify personal and environmental resources that allow people to effectively implement a prosocial self-isolation strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as various forms of volunteerism.

The resulting empirical results should be interpreted in light of several important limitations. First, it was a “convenience sampling”. Thus, temporal order and causality cannot be verified. Future studies should use some longitudinal structures for further examination of the regularities we have found. The sampling is not necessarily representative of the entire society. Replication with the use of different sampling methods (gender, age, ethnicity, profession, etc.) is necessary. Future studies can confirm the reliability of the obtained results by analyzing various forms of prosocial behavior directly during the COVID-19 pandemic (volunteering, charity, membership in charity organizations, experience in helping a stranger, etc.) and personal characteristics (empathy, social identity, trust in the world, etc.).

P.A.K. collected and evaluated the questionnaires, analyzedthe data, wrote the manuscript, designed the research, and statistical analyzed the data; E.A.S. advised on the theoretical aspects related to prosocial behavior.