Chapter 13: Prosocial Behavior Flashcards
Evolutionary perspectives of Prosocial behavior
Kin selection
We choose to save our kin in life or death situations, those most viable to reproduce (Bernstein)
This is favorable to natural selection– it helps pass on our similar genes to the next generation
Reciprocal altruism
We help people because of the likelihood of being helped in the future
-Norm of reciprocity: we feel obligated to help those who help us
Evolutionary approaches to Prosocial
Kin selection
Behaviors that help others pass on your similar genes favors natural selection
Therefore those with similar genes as you (kin) can pass on genes like yours is favorable to encourage your genes to be passed on
Bernstein 1994
People read hypothetical scenarios of life/death situations concerning their brother cousin etc, their age (young old)
how likely they helped the person was measured (who you help first etc)
The younger and closer they were the more likely they
Reciprocal altruism
Helping others based on probability of being helped in return
-Norm of reciprocity:
We feel like we have to help those who helped us.
Social exchange on helping
Social exchange and helping
Helping based solely on self interest, we help if rewards outweigh costs
There may be rewarding feelings for helping. No altruism.
-Feeling good or avoiding feeling bad
Austin 1975
Cheaters stuck around to make themselves feel better.
Harris 1975
People on the way to confession donated more than coming out
Altruism
Empathy
Altruism
Motivation increasing the welfare of another is ultimate goal
Where ultimate goal is to benefit ourselves
Empathy
Other oriented emotional response corresponding with welfare of another person
Driven by altruistic concerns: how the person in need feels
Not the same as how you would feel in that situation- egoism
When might we feel altruism?
Imaging how a person in need feels creates feelings of empathetic concerns which produce altruistic motive to reduce their distress
This not the same as imaging how you feel in situation
This leads to personal distress and egoism to reduce your own discomfort
Empathy altruism hypothesis and study
If we see someone in need and we feel empathy for them, we will help them out of altruistic concerns. Otherwise, it defaults to social exchange theory.
1) See someone in help
2) Empathy?
A) Yes- Help no matter what, because we hope to reduce their distress.
B) No- Only help I benefits outweigh the cost ((reduce our discomfort/
make us look good
Study:
Do we help others because we care about them or our own
discomfort? (Bateson 1981)
Subjects watched a confederate react to a shock, and are asked if they will take their place, they manipulate empathy (similarity) and ease of escape (2 rounds or 10 rounds)
In the dissimilar, they left early in the similar they all stayed
Supposedly, they said yes in the empathy because of genuine altruistic concern for individual. In no empathy, they agreed bc it would be awkward if they didn’t. If they could escape easy, they took the way out.
Do we help to make ourselves feel good? Study
Do we help to avoid consequences? Study
Make ourselves feel good:
Bateson 1985
Students listened to a story about Katie in their Psyc class. They manipulated empathy (how she feels/technical elements) and whether they anticipated feeling better (funny show coming up)
-Those in the high empathy all offered help. In the low empathy, they only offered help if they needed to feel better.
Do we offer help to avoid consequences?
Bateson 1995
Same study style. Manipulate empathy, as well as justification to not do it (everyone before me signed up/lots of people skipped before me)
Those in high empathy all sign up. Those in low empathy only signed up if they couldn’t justify skipping.
When do we help? (5 ways)
When we have time
When we feel good
When we feel bad (_______ ______ relief model)
Where we live (_____ ______ hypothesis)
Who’s around (_________ effect)
Helping: When we have time study
Seminary students wrote a speech (Furure career path/parable Good Samaritan) and ran to the next building (rushed or not rushed).
Those who were rushed failed to see a man who needed help on the side walk, regardless of speech or religiosity
Helping:
When we feel good study
When we feel bad study
When in a good mood
Desire to maintain good mood
Goodthoughts broadens attentions, you see brighter sides of things
Isan 1972
Paid for someone’s pay phone or not and likelihood to help was increased
Baron 1997
Asked for change outside clothing store or bakery that smelled good
Staged helping situation for helping and the bakery was higher
When in a bad mood (Cunningham 1980)
Negative state relief model
Helping makes us feel good, we help to feel better
People borrow experimenters camera to take picture, accused of breaking to make feel bad. Those accused helped more
Two limitations
- When you’re in an extreme mood you won’t help
- You won’t help those who hurt you
Helping:
Urban overload hypothesis (two factors)
Bystander effect
Urban overload hypothesis
People who live in cities are bombarded with stimuli, so to keep from being overloaded they keep to themselves
Two factors:
-Similarity
Country areas are more homogeneous with more in group
members so you’re more similar and want to help
-Residential mobility
People move around come and go more often in city, there is more
community in rural areas because you know people better
Bystander effect
The greater number of people around the less people are likely to help
(Kitty genovese murder)
Darley and latane 1968
Students conversing over intercom changed how many were on line. The more bystander, the longer participant took to respond to a seizure.
Five steps to helping
- Noticing
- Interpreting as emergency
- Pluralistic ignorance: everyone thinks others are ok with it.
- Smoke in room experiment.
- Taking responsibility
- Diffusion of responsibility: others will take care of it
- Knowing how to help
- Deciding to help.
- could be dangerous to attend
