Entitled to do good: how self-enhancement motivations shape behavior of those feeling 'special'

Previous studies have demonstrated that psychological entitlement adversely influences various areas of social behavior. Current research argues that entitlement can have not only negative, but also positive downstream consequences depending on the underlying motivations of those who perceive themselves as entitled. In a series of four studies, we demonstrate that entitled individuals, indeed, might behave prosocially. We specifically demonstrate that those who perceive themselves as entitled behave more prosocially when (1) they are given an opportunity to self-enhance versus when they are not given an opportunity to self-enhance, and (2) when the pro-social behavior is framed as serving to the pro-self (vs. pro-social) motivation. Moreover, we propose and demonstrate that one way to increase the pro-social behavior of those who feel entitled might be to conduct the pro-social behavior in public (vs. private) context.