Ch.8, Altruism Flashcards
Altruism
“Selfishness in reverse”: altruistic person is concerned and helpful even when no benefits are offered or expected in return
Social Exchange Theory
Social Exchange Theory: we do not consciously monitor costs and rewards, but such considerations predict our behaviour; we subtly calculate the benefits and risks of every decision
Rewards and helping
Can be external or internal to motivate helping
We give to get
In general, public generosity boosts one’s status while selfish behavior can lead to punishment
Helping boosts self worth: boosts your own mood, may increase social skills and positive social values
Volunteering benefits morale and health, especially when self-initiated
People who choose to spend money on others are happier
When do we commonly tend to view things as altruistic?
Often we only term things as truly “altruistic” when we cannot determine the benefit that helping would give to the person doing it (Phoebe example)
Skinner and altruism
Skinner: declared that we credit people for their good deeds only when we can’t explain them; when the external causes are obvious, we credit the causes, not the person
Criticisms of social exchange theory
CRITICISMS OF SOCIAL EXCHANGE THEORY: degenerates into explaining-by-naming: if someone volunteers, we “explain” that action by the satisfaction it brings
Egoism
Egoism: idea that self-interest motivates all behavior
“Feel bad–do good Effect”
occurs with people whose attention is on others and they are not self-focused, people for whom prosocial behavior is rewarding
Feel Good Do Good Effect
Happy people tend to be helpful people
Helping softens a bad mood and sustains a good mood
A positive mood is conducive to positive thoughts and positive self-esteem, which predisposes us to positive behavior
Reciprocity Norm:
we should return help with help
When people cannot reciprocate, they may feel threatened and demeaned by accepting aid
Altruism and the Social-Responsibility Norm
Altruism and the Social-Responsibility Norm
Gender and Help
Women offered help equally to males and females, whereas men offered more help to females
Evolutionary Perspective and Helping
Essence of life is gene survival: genes that predispose individuals to self-sacrifice in the interests of strangers’ welfare would not survive in the evolutionary competition
Instead it comes from cooperation: exhibit mechanisms of cooperation for survival
Gene Egoism:
fosters parental altruism; favours self-sacrifice for our own genes; THEREFORE PARENTS ARE MORE DEVOTED TO THEIR CHILDREN THAN THEIR CHILDREN ARE TO THEM
When does reciprocity work best
Reciprocity works best in small/isolated groups; groups in which one will often see the people for whom one does favors
Therefore reciprocity is more likely in small towns/small schools rather than in huge environments
Genuine Altruism, Batson:
theorizes that our willingness to help is influenced by both self-serving and selfless considerations, such as relieving our distress by helping or by genuine empathy
Altruistic empathy vs egoistic stress reduction
Egoistic Stress Reduction: help to avoid our own distress at a situation
Altruistic Empathy: genuine feeling for the sufferer
Obviously Egoistic Acts: done to gain rewards/avoid punishment
Subtly Egoistic: done to relieve inner distress
Bystander Effect”
presence of other bystanders greatly decreases likelihood of intervention
Number of bystanders increase = any given bystander is less likely to notice the incident, less likely to interpret the problem an emergency, and less likely to assume responsibility for taking action
Bystander Effect/Compassion Fatigue and sensory overload
Compassion Fatigue and Sensory Overload: after being around too many people restrain people from helping in large cities across the world; the bigger and more densely populated a place, the less likely people are to help
Concept of Elevation, Haidt
a glimpse of human kindness and charity causes elevation, a distinctive feeling in the chest of warm and expansion and inspires people to more self giving
Similarity to the Victim
Similarity is conduvice to liking, and liking is conducive to helping: therefore we are more empathic and helpful toward those who are similar to us
Personality Traits and altruism
No definable set of altruistic personality traits exists: situational demands and influences and stronger predictors
Some people are reliably more helpful, those high in emotionality, empathy and self-efficacy are most likely to be concerned and helpful
Personality does influence how particular people react to situations; those high in self-monitoring are attuned to the expectations of others and especially helpful if they think helpfulness will be socially rewarded
Frey, Fast and Slow Sinking Ships Experiment:
the slower sinking boat allowed prosocial behavior and activation of gender norms to kick in, making women more likely to survive
Moral Inclusion vs moral exclusion
Rescuers of Jews in Europe, relief workers, and volunteers all share moral inclusion: they include people who differ from themselves within the human circle to which their moral values and rules of justice apply
Moral Exclusion: omitting certain people from one’s circle of moral concern has the opposite effect: justifies harm, like WWII
Overjustification Effect and Helping:
when the justification for an act is more than sufficient, the person may attribute the act to the extrinsic justification rather than to an inner motive
“Falling in love” and social exchange theory
Also explains “Falling in love” feel you’re in a relationship where someone brings you a lot more than what you’re putting into the relationship
Romantic relationships that are very satisfying, maximizing rewards and there is minimal amount of costs
How does reciprocity still contribute to gene survival?
Why help someone who doesn’t share genetic material with you: the person will reciprocate the help (which still contributes to the survival of your genes)
WHY HELP, Reciprocity Experiment
Participant received some type of favor from a confederate; some received the favor some did not
Then asked how much money they would donate to a certain cause
People who have received the favor: more likely to pledge the money when they have already received a favour
Situational Determinants of Helping
Noticing: noticing that someone needs help
Interpreting: getting rid of the ambiguity in the situation (overcoming pluralistic ignorance: YOU BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE HAS THE SAME OPINION AS YOU DO, when there is an ambiguous situation, if no one else is treating it as an emergency, then you won’t help
Assuming responsibility: overcoming diffusion of responsibility, BRING IT UPON OURSELVES TO HElp
Helping when someone else does: emulating or being a helpful model, other people helping helps to interpret the situation and also makes you more likely to follow them
Situational Determinants of Helping, Samaritan Effect, Time Pressure
Two groups preparing their oral presentation to present in front of others
Asked to go present it in another building: on route, there is a confederate with a medical emergency
AFTER SAMARITAN LECTURE: HELPING WAS HIGHER ACROSS THE BOARD
WHEN TIME PRESSURE WAS HIGHER= HELPING BEHAVIOR SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED
When good samaritan lecture was given and there was low time pressure: helping increases
When time pressure was high, samaritan lecture people still h
Increase Helping
Socialize Altruism:
Reduce ambiguity: make it clear that this is an emergency
Teach moral inclusion: everyone is deserving of help regardless of the situation
Model altruism through your own example; highlight the positive attributes/benefits/rewards of being an altruist
Attribute helping behavior to altruism
Enable guilt and concern for self image
