Altruism & Aggression Flashcards
altriusm
desire to increase another person’s welfare per se, without regard for one’s self-interest
bystander effect
a person is less likely to provide help when other bystanders are present
Latane & Darley’s 5 step model
does the person notice the incident?
does the person interpret the situation as an emergency?
does the person assume responsibility for helping?
does the person have the ability to help?
does the person decide to provide help?
Step 1: does the person notice the incident?
obstacles: distraction and self-concerns
Step 2: does the person interpret the situation as an emergency?
obstacles: ambiguity, pluralistic ignorance, relationship between attacker and victim
pluralistic ignorance
tendency for people to assume nothing is wrong when others do not react
Step 3: does the person assume responsibility?
obstacles: diffusion of responsibility
diffusion of responsibility
when there are numerous people around, all of whom can take responsibility, it becomes less likely that any one person will actually help
Step 4: does the person have the ability to help
obstacles: lack of competence
Step 5: does the person decide to provide help?
obstacles: avoidance inhibition, costs exceed rewards, and social exchange theory
avoidance inhibition
deciding not to help out of fear that one will not respond competently in front of others
social exchange theory
human interactions are transactions that aim to maximize one’s rewards and minimize one’s costs
other factors that predict helping
mood, rewarded for previous help, modeling, deservingness of requester, specific (vs. general) helpee, location (urban vs. rural, specific cities?)
egoism
helping for selfish reasons
people tend to attribute their own helping to
altruism
people tend to attribute other’s helping to
egotism
four explanations for why people help
the empathy-altruism hypothesis
the mood management hypothesis
social and personal norms
evolutionary theory
empathy-altruism hypothesis
when we see a person in need, we empathize with his/her distress and help even if nothing is to gain
THERE IS ALTRUISM!
empathy
vicarious experience of another’s experience
mood management hypothesis
we help in order to avoid negative emotions
helping makes us feel good (avoid feeling bad)
EGOISTIC EXPLANATION
social norms
general standards or expectations regarding appropriate behavior
three norms about helping
norms of social responsibility
norms of reciprocity
personal norms
norms of social responsibility
expectation that people will help those in need
norms of reciprocity
expectation that people will help those that have helped them in the past
personal norms
expectation that people gain through their own personal history regarding how people are supposed to behave
evolutionary theory predictions
greater the genetic similarity, the more likely we will help them
helping genetically similar people is more likely in threatening situations
genetically similar people who are young and healthy are more likely to be helped
kin selection
we are most likely to help close relatives who share our genes and will be able to pass them forward
self-supportive
when recipient feels appreciated, validated and cared for
self-threatening
helps convey a message that recipient is inferior
helps deviate from norms or values
help doesn’t increase the probability of success or doesn’t decrease the need for future assistance
recipient double bind
direct benefit, but questions character or ability
helper double bind
don’t help to avoid sending negative message, but feel guilty if don’t help
aggression
physical or verbal behavior that is intended to hurt someone against their will
types of aggression
emotional and instrumental
how aggression is expressed
direct or indirectly
emotional direct
employee gets angry and throws chair at boss
emotional indirect
under cover of night, an angry tenant deflates ties of landlord’s car
instrumental direct
bank robber shoots a guard who attempts to thwart the robbery
instrumental indirect
a women interested in a man asks his sister to tell the man a vicious rumor about his current girlfriend’s infidelity
biologically-based causes of aggression
instinct, genes, neurochemicals
instinct
some philosophers say that humans are gentle creatures, changed by the world around them – therefore we have a natural tendency for aggression
genes
idea of behavioral genetics and that aggression is hereditary
also an idea of gene interactions (epigenetics)
neurochemicals
testosterone and serotonin
high levels of T and low levels of S increase aggression
instrumental learning
the way we learn about aggression is when we get a positive feedback when we are aggressed
observational learning
the idea that parents are a model for their children
the frustration-aggression hypothesis
frustration leads to aggression
aggression always results from frustrations
frustration
blocking out goal directed behavior
displacement
redirection of aggression
REVISED frustration-aggression hypothesis
frustration is indirectly related to aggression
frustration sometimes leads to aggression, not always
situational determinants of aggression
aggression cues, heat, alcohol, direct provocation, viewing violence on TV and in movies
aggression cues
anything in the environment linked to aggression (ex. cues)
heat
heat = more aggression
alcohol
more drunk = more aggressive
direct provocation
if target of aggression, tend to agress back
how viewing violence promotes violence
modeling/imitation, disinhibition, desensitization, attitude change
ways to reduce aggression
catharsis, punishment, reality check, be proactive
