ProSocial Essentials: 

Cooperation by Design

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  • Self-paced
  • 2 hour course
  • Open to everyone
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Certification Included
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Most groups don’t struggle because people don’t care or aren’t trying. They struggle because of the conditions they’re operating in. Every group (be it a team, a family, or community) develops patterns that make certain behaviors easier, safer, or more rewarding than others. Over time, those patterns shape what people actually do, regardless of their intentions.


This course introduces a practical way to see those conditions clearly and empowers you to begin
working with them.

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Why groups keep struggling, even when people are trying

Most of us have tried the usual things:
  • We improve communication.
  • We bring in training.
  • We try to address things directly.

Sometimes it helps for a little while, but then the same patterns show up again. It’s frustrating — especially when people have good intentions and are trying.

What’s usually missing isn’t effort. It’s the conditions people are operating in.

Groups shape behavior more often than we realize. They make some responses easier, safer, or more worthwhile than others. Over time, those pressures add up. So when a group unknowingly drifts toward competition, withdrawal, or conflict, it’s often not because of who’s in the room. It’s because of environment that's been created around the situation. 

This course is about learning to see — and work with — those conditions.
WHAT THIS COURSE DOES

In about two hours, you’ll get a practical way to:

See what your group is actually responding to
Understand why certain patterns keep repeating
Notice what’s happening inside you in the moments that matter
Work with both, instead of feeling stuck between them


This course will help you learn how to work more effectively with the situations you’re already in.

Course Lessons

There are four short modules. Each one builds on the last.

Frequently Asked Questions

I’ve tried things like this before. Why would this be different?
Most approaches try to improve people: their communication, their mindset, their skills. That can help. But if the conditions stay the same, the patterns often come back. This course starts in a different place by looking at what the situation is making likely in the first place. It tends to open up different kinds of options.
I’m not in a leadership role. Does this still apply?
Yes. You don’t need full control over a group to understand what’s going on in it - or to influence it. Sometimes just seeing the structure clearly changes how you engage, and what conversations become possible.
What if the issue really is one person?
Sometimes it is. This course doesn’t ignore that. It just adds another question: is the situation making that behavior easier, safer, or more rewarding? Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes it isn’t. Either way, you’ll have a clearer sense of what you’re actually dealing with.

Course Creators



This course was developed by the team at ProSocial World.

You’ll hear from Paul Atkins (ProSocial World cofounder, researcher, and facilitator) drawing on work across organizations, communities, and systems.