Helping

Question 1

The bystander decision tree

Answer 1

The thought process you go through to make a decision.

According to this model, a bystander goes through a five step decision tree before help is provided.

Question 2

Noticing an event and interpreting it as an emergency

Answer 2

Step 1 & 2, = smoke study

Question 3

Smoke Study

Answer 3

o IV: P’s completed a survey alone vs. in a group of 3
o Smoke began pouring out of the ventilation duct
o DV: % who go for help
• Alone 75%
• 2 other real p’s present 38%
• 2 confederates present 10%
• Being around others made people less likely to interpret smoke as an emergency […connection to “informational social influence”?]

Question 4

Assuming responsibility for helping

Answer 4

Step 3

Question 5

Diffusion of responsibilty

Answer 5

o As the number of bystanders increases, each bystander’s sense of responsibility to help decreases

Question 6

Seizure Study

Answer 6

• Participants overheard an emergency happening in the next room
• IV: P’s thought they were alone OR with one other witness OR with two other witnesses
• DV: Response time to get the experimenter
• Alone = quicker to help vs. two people is slower

Question 7

Implement decision to help

Answer 7

Step 4

Question 8

Cost/Benefit analysis

Answer 8

Implement decision to help is often determined by a “cost/benefit” analysis:
o Assess the costs of helping (e.g., getting hurt, losing time, making things worse)
o Assess the benefits of helping (e.g., feeling good, being popular, making money)
o IF benefits outweigh costs, THEN help; IF NOT, move on.

Question 9

Good Samaritan Study

Answer 9

o Seminary students see someone in need of help
o IV1: They had just prepared a lecture on “the good Samaritan” OR another topic
o IV2: Students are late for lecture OR on time OR ahead of schedule
o DV: Did they help?
o Results:
• Ahead of schedule 63% helped
• On time 45% helped
• Late 10% helped
• What about the other IV: which lecture topic was on their mind when they saw this person in need? No effect. The lesson? People help when the costs are not too high.

Question 10

Altruism vs. Egoism

Answer 10

• The egoism motive: We help to maximize our personal benefits and minimize our personal costs. The focus is on the self.
o Those who volunteer frequently list egoistic goals as reasons (career aspirations, relieving negative emotions, conforming pro-social norms, etc.)
• The altruism motive: We help because others are suffering, regardless of the personal benefits or costs. The focus is on the other person.

Question 11

Empathy altruism hypothesis

Answer 11

o Empathy: feeling of compassion, tenderness, and sympathy toward another
o IF people do NOT feel empathy towarhd someone in need, tey help depending on a cost/benefit analysis. That is, they may still help, BUT they help out of an egoistic motive: when the personal benefit outweigh the costs
o IF people DO feel empathy toward someone in need, they help regardless of the cost/benefit analysis. They help out of an altruistic motive.

Question 12

Empathy study

Answer 12

• P’s asked to help “Katie” who was raising her siblings after parents killed in a car crash
• IV: Perspective taking (“imagine how Katie feels”) = high empathy OR keep objective = low empathy
• DV: Did they volunteer to help Katie?
o Low empathy 40%
o High empathy 80%