Moral identity and online altruism in Chinese young adults: Interpersonal trust and social responsibility as chain mediators

I explored the predictive mechanism of moral identity for online altruistic behavior among young adults aged 18–35 years in the collectivist cultural context of China, incorporating interpersonal trust and social responsibility as mediators. Participants (N = 1,230) completed a survey of moral identity, online altruism, online interpersonal trust, and online social responsibility. The analysis results showed that moral identity directly and positively predicted online altruistic behavior, and also exerted a predictive effect through online interpersonal trust and online social responsibility as both independent and chain mediators. The study findings reveal the intrinsic psychological mechanism underlying the effect of moral identity on online altruistic behavior, providing practical guidance for improving the level of online altruism among young adults and constructing a healthy online ecology.