Altruistic or expected leadership? Laboratory evidence on what motivates pro-social influence

We provide experimental evidence to assess whether pro-social leading is motivated by altruism or by a desire to conform with expectations. A sizable minority of individuals act more pro-socially when they can influence others. Whether or not an individual acts more pro-socially when she can influence others, she wants her actions made public only if it will increase others’ pro-sociality, which turns out to be a telltale sign of altruism. Despite some evidence that pro-social leading is partly driven by conformity, altruism wins the day.