Helping Behavior Flashcards
Theoretical Approaches
Evolutionary, social norm, learning, social exchange, cognitive
HB: Evolutionary Approaches
Help to insure survival of genes
Kin to selection; more help if genetically related
Reciprocity: help when can (at low cost) so can get help when needed
Social Norm Reciprocity
Norm of Reciprocity
Norm of social responsibility: should help when it’s neeed, regardless of cost/reciprocity
Norm of social justice: help only if person deserves this help
Learning Approaches
Operant Conditioning
Social learning
Modeling
Social Exchange Approach
Cognitive appraisal of probability of rewards and costs, if there are rewards, we want to help. Too many costs - we’re iffy.
- Good Samaritan study, subway helping study, communal v exchange, physical attractiveness, mood effects
SEA Example: Good Samaritan Study
Field experiment at a school where teacher approaches student and asks them to give a talk to high schoolers. Some were in a rush and others weren’t, and there was an elderly person slumped on a bench. students stopped by Professor who asks about someone who didn’t show up for a talk with a group and asked if they can do it. Talk is either about helping behavior/being a Good Samaritan or not about helping behavior. Others were told that it starts in 10 minutes and in another building vs happening right now. On a bench, they planted an old person slouched over. Having a helping behavior parable (primed), but it didn’t even matter. People who were told they had 10-15 minutes, they were more likely to ask if the old man needed help while those running late didn’t really give help. Think social exchange abt the professor and running late
SEA: Subway helping study
Placed people in subway car to make observations about other people, then there’s a confederate who gets on and falls to the ground and for some people he pops a fake blood packet in his mouth.
People were less likely to help if there was blood because it was a sign of greater cost
SEA: Communal v exchange
Different types of relationships, communal has some level of intimacy, closeness, expect to interact a lot and exchange is more transactional, there’s interaction but you’re not close, don’t interact much.
Likelier to help someone we have a communal relationship with than exchange
SEA: Physical Attractiveness
More likely to help physically attractive people than nonattractive because we see more benefits
men sorting cars on a table and a girl that’s new to the cool also i sorting car All single men and she was single. She fumbles the cars and measured if the men got up and gave up. Helped mroe if she was more physically attractive and more interested in dating.
SEA: Mood effects
Helping will improve our mood. If you help someone while in a bad mood, you feel better about it
Cognitive Approaches
Schema activation
- Overt priming
- Covert priming
Bystander Effect
Story of Kitty Genovese: the stabbing that 30+ people heard/saw
Latane and Darley: the tendency to be less like to help if others are also present
- Diffusion of responsibility
- Deindividuation
Study Examples of Bystander Effect
Ladder study: unambiguous need for help
Seizure study: no visual information on others (social comparion)
Smoke study: ambiguous situation
Elevator study: non-emergency situation
Latane’s 5 Step Model of Helping
Step 1: Notice the event
Step 2: Interpret as someone in need of help
Step 3: Take responsibility
Step 4: Know how to help
Step 5: Implement Help
Latane’s First Step: Notice the event
In order to help, you must realize something is happening
Often, people are distracted and dont even notice (like Good Samaritan study - being in a study)
