Prosociality Matters: How Does Prosocial Behavior in Interdependent Situations Influence the Well-being and Cognition of Road Users?

In hybrid mobility societies, where automated vehicles (AVs) and humans interact in public spaces, the significance of prosocial behaviors intensifies. These behaviors are crucial for the smooth functioning of an interdependent transportation environment, mitigating challenges from the integration of AVs and human-operated systems, and enhancing user well-being by fostering more efficient, less stressful, and inclusive environments. This study explores the impact of receiving prosocial behaviors on cognition, riding behavior, and well-being of micromobility users through interdependent traffic situations within a simulated urban environment. Our mixed design study involved two types of social interactions as between-subject conditions of prosocial and asocial interaction, and three categories of time constraint as within-subject conditions: relaxed, neutral, and pressed. The findings reveal that receiving prosocial and asocial behaviors can affect the state of well-being and trial performance in a mobility environment.