Abstract for: From traditional Charity to the Chain of Happiness: Propagating Prosocial Behavior Through Trust-Based Participatory Systems

Conventional charitable systems often operate as linear transfer structures with limited feedback between donors and outcomes, which can constrain trust, participation, and long-term engagement. Additionally, psychological barriers associated with receiving help and limited perceived impact of individual contributions may further reduce participation. These challenges highlight the need for alternative system designs that enable more dynamic and participatory forms of generosity. This work introduces the Chain of Happiness as a trust-based, chain-structured model of charitable interaction, in which each act of help forms a link in a continuing sequence of support. From a systems thinking perspective, helping behavior is conceptualized as a reinforcing feedback process in which recipients become future contributors. A prototype web platform is developed to implement and explore the model, incorporating mechanisms such as chain formation, participant selection, and continuity support. The concept has been informally implemented since 2017, supporting 341 individuals across 19 active chains. Observations suggest that structuring help as a chain can increase willingness to participate, reduce barriers to accepting help, and enable the continuation of support beyond a single transaction. The system further benefits from mechanisms such as crowdfunding for chain initiation, backward-step option, and chain branching to expand reach. The prototype platform demonstrates the feasibility of tracking and scaling these interactions. The Chain of Happiness highlights the potential of designing social systems that activate reinforcing feedback loops in prosocial behavior. By shifting from linear transfer structures to participatory chains, the model can enhance trust, broaden participation, and amplify impact through chain-based propagation effects. This work suggests a pathway toward more dynamic and inclusive charitable systems. Future work includes formal system dynamics modeling, behavioral validation, and evaluation of scalability across diverse social contexts. Grammar checking and readability enhancement