Exam 3- Lecture 11

Question 1

Prosocial behavior

Answer 1

Any act designed to help others

Question 2

Altruism

Answer 2

Unselfish behavior that benefits others WITHOUT REGARD to consequences for oneself

Ongoing debate about the existence of “true altruism”
-helps society run smoothly, seems unrealistic

Question 3

What motivates prosocial behavior?

Answer 3

Social rewards
-esteem and respect, status, praise

Personal distress
-watching someone suffer causes distress (empathy)

Empathic concern
-identifying with someone in need

Question 4

Social rewards

Answer 4

Motivates prosocial behavior

Esteem and respect, status, praise

Question 5

Personal distress

Answer 5

Motivates prosocial behavior

Watching someone suffer causes distress (empathy)

Question 6

Negative state relief hypothesis

Answer 6

Personal distress
Give help in order to get out of bad mood

• if give ppl another way to feel better, not as likely to help
• if believe helping WON’T make them feel better, NOT as likely to help

Kids DON’T know this yet
-learn around 7 or 8

Question 7

Empathic concern

Answer 7

Motivates prosocial behavior

Identifying with someone in need

Question 8

Happiness motive for helping

Answer 8

It feels good

Dunn’s research on selfish vs. prosocial spending
-feel better when spend on other than spend on self

We help more when we’re in a GOOD mood, in part to maintain it

• Quarters in pay phones study
• > found money or not, those who found were more likely to help when someone dropped papers

Question 9

Natural selection motive for helping

Answer 9

Evolution makes us do it

Kin-selection
-more likely to help people who share our genes

Question 10

Reciprocity motive for helping

Answer 10

We might get something in return

Might explain what we help non-kin

Question 11

Decision-making model for helping behavior (Darley & Latane)

5 steps for helping

Answer 11

1. Notice the event (that someone is in need)
   - “Smoke in the test room” study (Latane & Darley, 1968)
2. Interpret event as emergency (ambiguity diminishes helping behavior – pluralistic ignorance)
   - Married vs. stranger study
3. Take responsibility for helping (Bystander effect)
   - Seizure study (Darley & Latane)
4. Must know how to give help
5. Must decide to help (rewards vs. costs- Social exchange theory)

Question 12

Decision-making model for helping behavior

1. Notice the event

Answer 12

We will not help unless we first notice that someone is in need

“Smoke in the test room” study (Latane & Darley, 1968)
-participants fill out fake questionnaire
-emergency staged (smoke)
Results:
-participant alone: notice under 5s
-with others: notice in 20s (really focus on questionnaire)

Question 13

Decision-making model for helping behavior

2. Interpret event as emergency

Answer 13

Ambiguity diminishes helping behavior

Pluralistic ignorance
-we assume that when other ppl appear unconcerned in an ambiguous situation the situation is not an emergency

Married vs. stranger study

• staged physical fight (pushing/shoving)
• “I don’t know you” (65% of time, stranger helped) or “don’t know why married you” (19% of time, stranger intervened)

Question 14

Decision-making model for helping behavior

3. Take responsibility for helping

Answer 14

Even if it is clear that an event is an emergency, ppl may not help if others are around

Bystander effect
Greater the # of bystanders who witness an emergency, the LESS LIKELY anyone of them is to help
-because diffusion of responsibility (bystander and social loafing)
--> Seizure study (Darley & Latane)
-participant on phone with another
Conditions
-just one other (85%; 52s to alert)
-two other ppl (62%; 93s)
-six total (31%: 166s)

Question 15

Decision-making model for helping behavior

4. Must know how to give help

Answer 15

People cannot help if they don’t know how

e.g., knowing CPR

Question 16

Decision-making model for helping behavior

5. Must decide to help

Answer 16

Weight REWARDS and COSTS

Social exchange theory
-ppl take rewards and costs into account when deciding whether to help

We are more likely to help with rewards OUTWEIGH costs

Rewards include benefits to other person

Question 17

Good Samaritan Study (Darley & Batson, 1973)

Answer 17

Seminary students asked to give a lecture on Good Samaritan OR on some other topic

Half told late and to hurry

Who helped?

• if early, 65% helped
• if on time, 40% helped
• if late, only 10% helped

Topic of lecture made NO difference

Cost-benefit

Question 18

Just learning about steps toward helping

Answer 18

increases ppl’s tendency to help and decreases pluralistic ignorance and bystander effect!