Leadership On Campus: Prosocial Behavior Benefits for Resident Assistants

Abstract

The roles and responsibilities of resident assistants are increasingly complex (Taub et al., 2016). Resident assistants are often first responders to student-related crisis or emergency situations, including those of safety, behavioral, and mental health (Boone et al., 2016). Resident assistants receive many levels of training and professional development and develop a wide range of skills from on-the-job experiences (Benjamin & Davis, 2016).

Although resident assistants are slated to receive these developmental benefits from training and experience, the research on learning outcomes and developmental benefits associated with serving as a resident assistant is limited. Though the current research suggests resident assistants may develop outcomes such as interpersonal communication, problem-solving, intercultural, and teamwork skills (Benjamin & Davis, 2016), less is known about the development of resident assistants’ prosocial behaviors, such as their engagement in social change, social generativity, and social perspective taking.

Resident assistants are predominantly drawn to the position because of their desire to help others (Boone, 2018). Such evidence provides an opportunity for resident assistants to be better primed to further develop greater prosocial behaviors through their training and experiences. The purpose of this study is to examine whether serving as a resident assistant has an effect on undergraduate students’ prosocial behaviors.