9- Week 9 - Helping others

Question 1

Explain how the evolutionary theory accounts for helping behaviour

Answer 1

Evan chimpanzee’s have shown reciprocal altruism, group-led altruism and kin selection (favouring group members)

Question 2

Describe egoistic and altruistic motives for helping

Answer 2

Egoistic - motivated by the desire to increase ones own welfare (arousal-cost-reward-model)
Altruistic - Motivated by the desire to improve another’s welfare (empathy)

Question 3

Explain the empathy-altruism hypothesis

Answer 3

The proposition that empathic concern for a person in need produces an altruistic motive for helping.

Question 4

Explain the bystander effect

Answer 4

The presence of others inhibits helping by any single witness (someone else will do it)
Affects small to medium groups, once over a certain cap, people will help.

Question 5

What are the 5 steps in the helping process

Answer 5

Notice something is happening
Interpret event as emergency
Take responsibility for helping
Decide how to help
Provide help

Question 6

Describe the influence of situational factors on helping behaviour

Answer 6

Time pressures, locations (city=less help) and cultural effects (different countries have different expectations of helping) can all weigh on whether anyone helps another individual.

Question 7

Explain how individual differences may affect a persons likelihood of helping others and others helping them

Answer 7

A persons mood, media effects, role models, social norms, social influence and social connection can all impact whether someone helps another person or someone helps them.

We commonly help others ‘like’ us (gender, culture, race etc) or those who are attractive (looks and niceness) or those of lesser threat (gender)