Helping Behavior Flashcards
Exam 3
What is prosocial behavior?
Any act performed with the goal of benefiting another person
What is an example of prosocial behavior?
Giving money to charity to go to benefit with celebrities
What is altruism?
Unselfish behavior that benefits others without regard to consequences for oneself (there is often a cost to oneself)
What is an example of altruism?
Giving money to charity anonymously
Does Batson believe that there is true altruism?
Yes, he argues that pure altruism does occur, but only in certain situations; specifically, when we feel empathy for someone else
What is empathic concern?
Selfless motive
What are the 2 components to empathy?
1) Cognitive: perspective taking (see situation through someone else’s eyes)
2) Emotional: empathetic concern
Does Cialdini believe that there is true altruism?
No, you are still doing it to reduce your own sadness
What is the negative state relief model?
People help to counteract their own feelings of sadness
- empathetic concern makes us feel sad, and we are motivated to increase our mood by helping
What are the physiological differences between personal distress and empathetic concern?
Personal distress –> pain, wince; heart rate increased (least likely to help)
Empathetic concern –> concerned gaze (eyebrows pulled in and up); heart rate decreased (most likely to help)
What is the bystander effect?
The greater the number of bystanders who witness an emergency, the less likely any one of them is to help
What is the 5-step model of situational variables that someone has to take to help?
1) Notice the event
2) Interpret the event as an emergency
3) Assume responsibility
4) Deciding what to do
5) Providing help
What are the problems with stage 1 (not noticing the emergency)?
If we don’t know there is a problem, then we have no reason to help
- Distracted
- Own self-concerns
What did the Good Samaritan study find?
Those who were in a hurry helped significantly less than those who were on time or early (helped the most)
What are the problems with stage 2 (not thinking it’s an emergency)?
When we are unsure of what’s going on, we use other people to help us define reality
What is pluralistic ignorance?
A phenomenon by which bystanders assume that nothing is wrong in an emergency because no one else looks concerned
What did the smoky room study find?
When you were in a room by yourself you were more likely to respond to smoke filling a room than if you were in a room with other people who had no reaction
What are the problems with stage 3 (not assuming responsibility)?
We may realize there is a problem, but think someone else will take care of it
What is the diffusion of responsibility?
Each bystander’s individual sense of responsibility decreases as number of bystanders increase
What is the problem with stage 4 (not knowing what to do)?
You could lack the knowledge of what to do or the competence to carry it out
What is the problem with stage 5 (deciding not to help)?
The costs of helping may outweigh the benefits of helping (danger to self, legal concerns, fear of making a bad impression on others (audience inhibition))
