Exam 3- Chapter 12: Helping

Question 1

5 Stage Decision Tree (Latnae and Darley- 1970)

Answer 1

Step 1) Notice Event: context, tunnel vision
Step 2) Interpret event as emergency
Step 3) Assume Responsibility: diffusion of responsibility, bystander effect
Step 4) Decide form of assistance
Step 5) Decide to implement decision

Question 2

Pluralistic Ignorance

Answer 2

In ambiguous situations, people look to others for cues as to how to behave

Question 3

Diffusion of Responsibility

Answer 3

See others as equally responsible to act

Question 4

Bystander Effect

Answer 4

The more bystanders present at an emergency situation, the less likely anyone is to help

Question 5

Latane & Rodin (1971)

Confederate takes money

Answer 5

Student subjects paid $10 in singles, money is pulled out of full envelope by secretary.
Secretary leaves, confederate takes money.
3 conditions:
1) 1 subject, 1 confederate
2) 2 subjects, 1 confederate
3) 3 subjects, 1 confederate

% of subjects that report confederate:
1) 76% 2) 24% 3) 0%
Showed bystander effect & diffusion of responsibility

Question 6

Decision Paralysis

Answer 6

Too much time spent thinking about helping/how to help, so then no help is given.

Question 7

Altruism

Answer 7

Rendering assistance to another person without concern for one’s own benefit.
“Selfishness in reverse.”

Question 8

Social Exchange Theory

Answer 8

Theory that human interactions are transactions that aim to maximize one’s rewards and minimize one’s costs.

Question 9

Egoism

Answer 9

The idea that self interest motivates all behavior, opposite of altruism.

Question 10

Reciprocity Norm

Answer 10

An expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them.

Question 11

Social Responsibility Norm

Answer 11

An expectation that people will help those needing help.

Question 12

Kin Selection

Answer 12

The idea that evolution has selected altruism toward one’s close relatives to enhance the survival of mutually shared genes.

Question 13

Empathy

Answer 13

The vicarious experience of another’s feelings, putting oneself in another’s shoes.

Question 14

When do we help?

Answer 14

• 1: If we’ve been rewarded in the past for helping.
• 2: Important for young model. Role Models. If you see someone else in heroic action(celebrity etc), younger people more likely to follow role models action of help.
• 3:We have the time. Busy people = less likely to help.
• 4: Good mood: Feel good-do good phenomenon.
• 5: Feeling guilty: being more likely to help

Question 15

Latane & Elman (1971) “Smoking Room” Study

Answer 15

Subjects in 3 different conditions given questionnaire to fill out in classroom. Experimenter feeds steam into subjects' room and times how long it will take subject to get up.
3 Conditions & Results:
1) Alone- 6 min
2) 3 subjects- 23 min
3) 1 subject, 2 confed- 32 min

Study showed Pluralistic Ignorance

Question 16

Latane and Darley (1970)- Altruism/Kitty Genovese

Answer 16

Proposed theory of altruism & created 5-stage decision tree.

Kitty Genovese case: 38 witnesses as she was stabbed at night it NY, & no one came to assist her/call police.
Latane & Darley proposed this was due to the bystander effect, and conducted further studies to prove this.

Question 17

Frustration-Aggression

Answer 17

For every frustration we experience, there will be an equal increase in need to aggress

Question 18

Aggression

Answer 18

Physical or verbal behavior intended to cause harm.

Question 19

Frustration Residue & Catharsis

Answer 19

Build up of frustration, that can cause one to “blow up.”

Can be released with Catharsis- Emotional release. Aggressive drive is reduced when one “releases” aggressive energy or fantasizes aggression.
Examples: hitting a punching bag, exercise

Question 20

Displacement

Answer 20

When one cannot agrees towards the source of frustration, they aggress towards a smaller/safer source.
Examples: domestic violence, child abuse, out groups

Question 21

Relative Deprivation

Answer 21

The perception that one is less well off than others with whom one one compares oneself.
Explains why happiness tends to be lower and crime rates higher in communities and nations with large income inequality, TV contributes to this.

Question 22

Bandura (1973) “Bobo Doll” Study

Answer 22

Experimental group: Kids watched adult hit & insult bobo doll. Kids were left alone in the room and did the same thing they saw the adults do.
Control group: Kids did not see adult hit bobo doll, and were left alone in room. Did not harm bobo doll when alone.

Study supported the Social Learning Theory.

Question 23

Modeling (Social Learning)

Answer 23

Proposed by Albert Bandura, theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded and punished. We learn aggression by watching others.

Question 24

Influences on Aggression

Answer 24

• Aversive experiences (pain, heat, attacks)
• Arousal (from any source, even exercise or sexual stimulation)
• Aggression cues (i.e. presence of a gun)
• Viewing violence
• Television & Videogames
• Being in a group (increased diffusion of responsibility & polarizing actions)

Question 25

Excitation Transfer

Answer 25

If one is aroused by some other means, then he or she becomes frustrated and frustration/anger would be greater than if there was no previous frustration. Arousal may come from any stimulus. (Zilman study).

Question 26

Aggressive Cue Theory

Answer 26

Presence of weapons brings out peoples’ violent nature.

“Guns not only permit violence, they can stimulate it as well.”

Question 27

TV Studies

Answer 27

The more violent the content of a child’s TV viewing, the more aggressive the child.

Reasons why TV Viewing Affects Aggression

1) Arousal it produces. Arousal tends to spill over.
2) Dishinbition. Viewing violence primes aggressive behavior by activating violence-related thoughts.
3) Imitation.

Question 28

Instinct Theory

Answer 28

All animals have the instinct to aggress (Lorenz). All animals have natural tools of aggression, unlike humans; humans have guns, knives, etc. and have never developed ritualistic signals.

Question 29

Biological Theories of Aggression

Answer 29

• Brain and CNS: Amygdala is part of the brain responsible for processing emotions.
• Genetic: sex differences > Hormonal; kids who get testosterone injections are more aggressive.
  23rd Chromosome: can be XYY by mutation “Super Male.” These men tend to have a protruding eyebrow bone, perceived as more intimidating and therefore act in this way.

Question 30

Hostile vs Instrumental Aggression

Answer 30

Hostile: Aggression that springs from anger. Its goal is to injure. (social aggr- characterized by displays of rage, i.e. murder)
Instrumental: Aggression that aims to injure, but only as means to some other end. (silent aggr. i.e. predator stalking a prey, terrorism, wars.)

Question 31

Adaptation Level

Answer 31

Then tendency to adapt to a given level of stimulation and thus to notice and react to changes at that level.

Question 32

Doob & Wood (1971) “Word Pairs & Shocks”

Answer 32

Measured shocks administered by subjects before the experiment (as an example), under two conditions, insult or no insult by confederate.
Insult:
No sample shock at beginning, higher shock administered later
Watches Experimenter shock, medium shock given later
Subject directly shocks, lower shock later
(Opposite results for no-insult group)

When there’s frustration, catharsis can reduce the associated need to aggress. However, if there’s no frustration, then acts of catharsis can actually escalate aggressive behavior.

Question 33

Berkowitz (1967)

Answer 33

• Revised FA Theory, realized the original theory overstated the FA connection. He said frustration produces ANGER, an emotional readiness to aggress.
• Revised Frustration-Aggression Theory: Unjustified Frustration -> Anger + Aggression Cues -> Aggression.

Question 34

Zillman (1970s) Excitation Transfer

Answer 34

3 groups watched different movies to stimulate arousal:
1) “The Couch”- woman goes to therapy session and has sex with her therapist.
2) “Body & Soul”- Boxing movie, very gory
3) “Marco Polo’s Travels”- minimal arousal
Results: Subjects previously aroused by movies 1 and 2 gave a significantly greater shock. Nature of arousal does NOT change intensity.

Question 35

Pornography Studies

Answer 35

Viewing fictional scenes of a man overpowering and arousing a woman can distort one’s perception of how women actually respond to sexual coercion and increase men’s aggression against women.

Question 36

General Work on TV

Answer 36

• Rape myth: some women would welcome sexual assault and that “no doesn’t really mean no”
• Researchers found a correlation between the amount of sexual-TV viewing and rape myth acceptance.
• Experiment: men who saw the sexual violence were more accepting of violence against women when later surveyed.