Vividly imagining the future self can help inform our present decisions. Given that most attempts aimed at understanding the prosocial effect of imagining future episodes have focused on sensory properties, little is known about how prosocial motivations can explain the link between episodic simulation and helping intentions. Here, the current research investigated whether altruistically and reputationally motivated simulation of helping behavior promote a willingness to help a person in need. The study found that imagining helping episodes increased willingness to help relative to a control manipulation, especially when reputational concerns were made salient. Path modeling analyses revealed that the prosocial effect of motivated simulation was mediated by future self-continuity (i.e., the perceived connectedness to the future self). These results shed light on a previously unexplored mechanism underlying the relationship between episodic simulation and prosocial intentions. Implications for future research in prosocial behavior, future-oriented cognition, and moral self-concept is discussed
