Chapter 1: An Introduction to Prosocial Behaviour Flashcards
What is the fundamental attribution error?
The fundamental attribution error is the tendency people have to overemphasize personal characteristics and ignore situational factors in judging others’ behavior. We tend to believe that others do bad things because they are bad people. We’re inclined to ignore situational factors that might have played a role.
ex. if someone cuts us off while driving we automatically assume “what a jerk!” and not that maybe they are on their way to the airport. But when we cut someone off, we excuse ourselves by saying we are running late or didn’t see them.
What is Kurt Lewin’s formula?
B = f (p, e)
States that behavior (B) is a function (f) of the person (P) in their environment (E). We can best understand behaviour in terms of nature and nurture.
Describe the “Good Samaritan” experiment by Darley & Batson.
Theology students were to give a lecture from the bible on helping others in a different building. On the way to the lecture they passed someone in need of help.
IV: some were rushed, some were not
DV: would they stop to help the man
They found that 60% of people who were told that they have time stopped to help the man, only 10% of those who were late stopped to help.
Folktales and parables often give us insights into what constitutes prosocial behaviour, often explain how greed and selfishness can lead to trouble.
Describe Milgram’s Obedience experiments.
Participants were told to administer high shocks to a confederate until they were told to stop. It was estimated that 0.1% of participants would go the whole way (450 volts), however 65% completed administered the highest shock and 100% delivered a 300 volt shock.
There was an underestimation of situation on people’s behaviour.
What are some the variants in Milgram’s Obedience experiments.
- Physical proximity of teacher to learner - 40% complied to 450V
- Passive role (told others to administer shock) - 93% complied
- Direct contact - 30% complied
- Less prestigious setting - 48% complied
- Disagreeing 2nd experimenter - 0% complied
Describe Zimbardo’s Prison experiment.
University students were either assigned to play a prison guard or a prisoner. As the experiment continued on, the participants took their role so seriously that the experiment needed to be ended. Normal students became evil human beings.
What are the two major themes of this course that were mentioned in lecture?
- Situations can have powerful influences on people’s behaviour → nudging them toward either prosocial or antisocial behaviour and we often fail to recognize this.
- We are all capable of hurting other and helping others, but we often think of “good” and “evil” as a dichotomy.
Give a definition of prosocial behaviour.
Prosocial behaviour is any act that benefits another person, it involves interactions between a benefactor (helper) and someone being helped. Prosocial acts are socially defined, meaning that they behaviour is not inherent or universally prosocial, it’s a social judgement that can change.
Describe McGuire’s helping behaviour model.
Stranger + low cost = casual helping
ex. making a small donation, giving directions
Stranger + high cost = emergency helping
ex. giving CPR, calling 911
Close other + low cost = emotional helping
ex. giving a hug, giving advice/encouragement
Close other + high cost = substantial personal helping
ex. helping with a move
What are “selfless” acts of helping?
“Selfless” acts of harm are attempts to save others from harm while knowingly putting own life at risk.
ex. going into a burning building
Arland Williams Jr. was in a plane crash and was one of only seven people to survive, he was given the life line multiple times but each time gave it to one of the other people, he ended up drowning.
What is the difference between altruism and egoism? How does Batson make the distinction?
Altruism: unselfish behaviour that benefits others without regard to consequences for the self
Egoism: the motivation for helping others is out of our own self-interest
- Some motivates may be a mixture of both of these motivations
Batson argues that we should concentrate on the motivation for the act rather than on its consequences:
- Helping that is motivated by egoistic concerns - “if I help that person, it will make me feel good and look good to others”
- Helping that is motivated by altruistic concerns - “I want to help this victim avoid further suffering”
Batson argues that even if the helper does receive some social or material reward for providing assistance, as long as the helper’s primary intention was to help the other person, it should be considered altruistic
What is the Golden Rule? How does religion affect prosocial behaviours?
The golden rule: do unto others as you would have others unto you
The Golden Rule has not emerged from a single culture, but rather is a more universal rule for social behavior that appears to play an adaptive function for well-being and perhaps even the survival of the individual and the group.
Moses Maimonides, a 12th century Talmudic commentator, identified an eight-step hierarchy of prosocial actions:
- The bottom “rungs” involve help that is given reluctantly or that does not correspond to the need of the sufferer
- The middle rungs include help that is not given until it is requested and aid given in such a way that the recipient feels shame
- The high rungs include help that is given anonymously, so that the recipient does not know the benefactor and the benefactor does not know the recipient.
The highest rung is charity provided to prevent future need, such as teaching an individual a trade or referring business so that person can make an honest living and not have to rely on charity.
According to William McDougall, social behaviour is governed by a set of:
primary instincts
- flight, repulsion, curiosity, pugnacity, self-abasement, self-assertion, and parenting
which are capable of prompting thought and action. These instincts are inextricably linked to corresponding emotions
- fear, disgust, wonder, anger, elation
McDougall was the first to try to understand why people did things, rather than how they do them and how they should do them.
Describe the Kitty Genovese incident.
- Kitty was attacked and stabbed multiple time, while 38 people watched the attack from their apartments - no one came to her aid. It took 30 minutes for one of the anonymous witnesses to report the attack.
- Latane and Darley used this case to develop a model of the decision-making processes that people use when deciding whether to help someone in distress.
- Ms. Genovese’s murder opened the door to the study of prosocial behaviour, 20 years after her murder 1000 research articles were published concerning prosocial behaviour.
Give a definition of helping.
Helping is a particular type of prosocial behaviour that is intended to aid other people.
