13. Prosocial Behaviour Flashcards
Define prosocial behaviour
Acts that help other people
Define altruistic behaviour
Prosocial behvaiour with the only goal to help others
Define empathy
The ability to put oneself in the shoes of another person and to experience events and emotions the way that person experiences them
Define reciprocity norm
The expectation that helping others will increase the likelihood that they will help us in the future
How does prosocial behaviour align with evolutionary pyschology?
Kin Selection
What is meant by “kin selection”?
passing on one’s genes
- not only by own reproduction
- but also by helping genetic relatives to also have children
Helping as social exchange: benefits
- reciprocity norm
- can relieve distress experienced as a bystander
- can improve one’s mood and self-esteem
- social approval
Helping as social exchange: costs
- physical danger
- pain
- embarassment
- time
- liability (legal)
Outline the Social Exchange Theory
- true altruism does not exist
- true altruism: helping only for the sake of helping
Who coined the Empathy-Altruism hypothesis? And when?
Batson 1991
Name the five main motives of pro-social behaviour.
- Genetic Determinism
- Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis
- Negative-state relief Model
- Empathic Joy Hypothesis
- Social Exchange Theory
Explain the five Steps involved in the decision to help.
- notice the event
- interpret the event as an emergency
- assume responsibility
- know appropriate form of assistance
- implement decision
Step 1: Noticing the Emergency
Explain a study investigating this aspect.
DARLEY AND BATSON 1973
- participants were students, studying to be ministers
- had to go from one building to another for a talk
- have to go past a person having a hysterical coughing fit/choking
TIME CONDITION:
- arriving ahead of schedule
- arriving on schedule
- arriving behind schedule
RESULTS:
- the greater the time pressure, the fewer passersby stopped to help
Step 2: Interpreting the event as an emergency
Name the phenomenon at play
Pluralistic Ignorance
Step 3: Assuming responsibility
Name the Phenomenon
The Bystander Effect
What is the cause of the bystander effect?
Diffusion of responsibility
How can the bystander effect be overcome?
Focusing responsibility
Focusing responsibility: Describe a study
MORIARTY 1975 - NY beach, radio on towel - Person owning radio has to leave - next person asked: "do you have a light" or "please watch my things" - confederate tries to steal the radio
RESULTS:
almost a of the people asked to watch intervene, not many of the others do who were only asked for a light
In a group setting, who is most likely to assume responsibility?
- group leader
- most competent (e.g. doctor)
Outline empathy-altruism
empathy –> altruistic behaviour
no empathy –> pro-social behaviour depending on costs and benefits
Outline the negative-state relief model
- helping as a means to reduce own negative affect
- negative affect can stem from emergency itself or an underlying source
Describe a study that supports the negative-state relief model
HARRIS, BENSON & HALL
Charity donations of catholic subjects were recorded before and after a concession.
- more donations were made before a concession
- guilt seems to lead to altruism
Outline the empathic-joy hypothesis
- helping because empathic people share the helped person’s positive feelings
- desire to act
- motivated by prospect of positive feedback
Name other factors of pro-social behaviour
- urban vs. rural environments
- the victim’s characteristics
- gender
