Helping and prosocial behaviour

Question 1

How we can define Social behavior that benefits another person?

Answer 1

prosocial behaviour.

Question 2

“There are a number of theories about why people might help or not”. What are they?

Answer 2

• egoism (motivation for helping that has the improvement of the helper’s own circumstances as its primary goal)
• altruism (motivation for helping that has the improvement of another’s welfare as its ultimate goal, with no expectation of any benefits for the helper)
• personality (two sets of personality characteristics other-oriented empathy, helpfulness that are highly correlated with prosocial behavior.

Question 3

What is the definition of Pluralistic ignorance?

Answer 3

Relying on the actions of others to define an ambiguous need situation and to then erroneously conclude that no help or intervention is necessary.

Question 4

What is the definition of Cost–benefit analysis?

Answer 4

A decision-making process that compares the cost of an action or thing against the expected benefit to help determine the best course of action.

Question 5

What is the definition of Diffusion of responsibility?

Answer 5

When deciding whether to help a person in need, knowing that there are others who could also provide assistance relieves bystanders of some measure of personal responsibility, reducing the likelihood that bystanders will intervene.

Question 6

What is the definition of Arousal: cost–reward model

Answer 6

An egoistic theory proposed by Piliavin et al. (1981) that claims that seeing a person in need leads to the arousal of unpleasant feelings, and observers are motivated to eliminate that aversive state, often by helping the victim. A cost–reward analysis may lead observers to react in ways other than offering direct assistance, including indirect help, reinterpretation of the situation, or fleeing the scene.

Question 7

What is the definition of Empathy–altruism model

Answer 7

An altruistic theory proposed by Batson (2011) that claims that people who put themselves in the shoes of a victim and imagining how the victim feel will experience empathic concern that evokes an altruistic motivation for helping.

Question 8

What is the definition of Empathic concern?

Answer 8

According to Batson’s who empathize with a person in need (that is, put themselves in the shoes of the victim and imagine how that person feels) will experience empathic concern and have an altruistic motivation for helping.

Question 9

What is the definition of Negative state relief model?

Answer 9

An egoistic theory proposed by Cialdini et al. (1982) that claims that people have learned through socialization that helping can serve as a secondary reinforcement that will relieve negative moods such as sadness.

Question 10

What is the definition of Other-oriented empathy?

Answer 10

A component of the prosocial personality orientation; describes individuals who have a strong sense of social responsibility, empathize with and feel emotionally tied to those in need, understand the problems the victim is experiencing, and have a heightened sense of moral obligations to be helpful.

Question 11

What is the definition of Reciprocal altruism?

Answer 11

According to evolutionary psychology, a genetic predisposition for people to help those who have previously helped them.

Question 12

Define Prosocial behavior.

Answer 12

• Prosocial behavior may come in different aspects such as helping an individual in need; sharing personal resources; volunteering time, effort, and expertise; cooperating with others to achieve some common goals.

Question 13

What is the definition of bystander intervention?

Answer 13

The phenomenon whereby people intervene to help others in need even if the other is a complete stranger and the intervention puts the helper at risk.

Question 14

Define pluralistic ignorance.

Answer 14

• Relying on others to define the situation and to then erroneously conclude that no intervention is necessary when help is actually needed

Question 15

Define diffusion of responsibility.

Answer 15

In situations in which help is needed, the presence or absence of others may affect whether a bystander will assume personal responsibility to give the assistance. Knowing that someone else could help seems to relieve bystanders of personal responsibility, so bystanders do not intervene

Question 16

Why there is a negative impact of pluralistic ignorance and diffusion of responsibility on helping in both emergencies and everyday need situations?

Answer 16

Because potential helpers place tremendous importance on the social situation in which unfortunate events occur, especially when it is not clear what should be done and who should do it.

Question 17

Why potential helpers engage in a cost–bexnefit analysis before getting involved ?

Answer 17

Because they consider how much helping will cost and compare those costs to the rewards that might be realized. If the needed help is of relatively low cost in terms of time, money, resources, or risk, then help is more likely to be given. If costs outweigh the rewards, helping is less likely.

Question 18

What are the two factors that explain sex and gender differences in helping?

Answer 18

• The first is related to the cost–benefit analysis process. the fact that men tend to have greater upper body strength than women makes the cost of intervening in some situations less for a man.
• The second related to socialization as men and women have traditionally been raised to play different social roles

Question 19

Define agreeableness.

Answer 19

A core personality trait that includes characteristics as being sympathetic, generous, forgiving, and helpful, and behavioral tendencies toward harmonious social relations and likeability.
- Agreeable people seem to expect that others will be similarly cooperative and generous in interpersonal relations

Question 20

What are the two major characteristics related to the prosocial personality and prosocial behavior?

Answer 20

other-oriented empathy which describes individuals who have a strong sense of social responsibility, empathize with and feel emotionally tied to those in need, understand the problems the victim is experiencing, and have a heightened sense of moral obligations to be helpful.
And helpfulness which is more behaviorally oriented. Those high on the helpfulness factor have been helpful in the past, and because they believe they can be effective with the help they give, they are more likely to be helpful in the future.

Question 21

What are the 4 evolutionary roots for prosocial behavior?

Answer 21

• According to evolutionary psychology, we are helpful in ways that increase the chances that our DNA will be passed along to future generations.
• we do not restrict our relationships just to our own family members.
• If helping someone now increases the chances that you will be helped later (reciprocal altruism), then your overall chances of survival are increased.
• Cheaters will not enjoy the benefit of help from others, reducing the likelihood of the survival of themselves and their offspring.

Question 22

What are the Egoistic motivation for helping?

Answer 22

Helpers help to the extent that it makes them feel better it includes negative state relief model where suggests that whenever we are feeling sad, we can use helping someone else as a positive mood boost to feel happier.
- arousal: cost–reward model where suggest that - By eliminating the victim’s pain, we eliminate our own aversive arousal, and thus helping is an effective way to alleviate our own discomfort.