Helping Behaviour Flashcards
What are the three reasons that we help other? !
- Evolutionary
- Social
- Biological
- Evolutionary Psychology: include kin protection and reciprocity
Essence of life is GENE SURVIVAL
–> genetic selfishness: the idea that we protect genes that are our own
–> Kin Protection: devotion to biological children (more true in Western societies than other cultures)
–> Reciprocity: evolved as a mechanism for ensuring cooperation
- Social Reasons
Social-Exchange Theory: for every social interaction we have, there are costs and rewards
–> Rewards (intrinsic - internal, extrinsic - provided by others)
–> Guilt - if we’re feeling bad about our actions, we are motivated to try harder
Social Norms - cultural ideas about how people should behave
–> Social responsibility norm
–> Reciprocity
- Biological Reasons
Genuine Altruism - people help because they want to, with no expectation of reward
–> Neural regions (linked to vmPFC)
–> Oxytocin and Endorphins
–> Research into genes of oxytocin receptors
What is the taxonomy of helping?
Pearce and Amato (1980)
- Planned/Formal vs Spontaneous/Informal –> (eg. donating blood v someone tripping in front of you)
- Severity of Problem
- Indirect vs Direct
Types of prosocial behaviour:
1. Public
2. Altruistic
- Public
- Helping behaviour is VISIBLE and may be OBSERVED by others (i.e., motivated by social approval or recognition).
–> I would help others if I knew that my actions would be publicly RECOGNISED.
- Altruistic
* Desire to help others WITHOUT expecting anything in RETURN , driven by altruistic concern for others’ wellbeing.
–> I would help others even if I knew I wouldn’t receive anything in return.
- Helping behaviour is VISIBLE and may be OBSERVED by others (i.e., motivated by social approval or recognition).
Types of prosocial behaviour:
3. Emotional
4. Dire
- Emotional
- CONCERN for their EMOTIONAL well-being and the emotional RESPONSES (e.g., sympathy or empathy) EVOKED by seeing others in need.
–> “I would help others because I feel sorry for them when they are in distress.
- Dire
* Situations of EXTREME need or emergency, such as CRISES or urgent circumstances.
–> If I saw someone in urgent need, I would help them even if it meant taking risks.
- CONCERN for their EMOTIONAL well-being and the emotional RESPONSES (e.g., sympathy or empathy) EVOKED by seeing others in need.
Types of prosocial behaviour:
5. Anonymous
6. Compliance
- Anonymous
* Help others WITHOUT any desire for recognition or PUBLIC acknowledgment, often in situations where the helper’s identity is kept private.
–> I would donate money to a cause without anyone knowing I did it. - Compliance
* Help others when ASKED, especially when doing so is socially expected or when there is pressure to comply with REQUESTS.
–> If someone asked me to help, I would feel obligated to do so.
Who is more/less likely to perform helping behaviour: personality, age, temperament
PERSONALITY
* Oliner and Oliner’s book (1988) The Altruistic Personality: Rescuers of Jews in nazi Europe reported that rescuers were motivated by three primary factors:
* 1) About 11 per cent were motivated primarily by a commitment to the JUSTICE PRINCIPLE.
* 2) Fifty-two per cent were motivated by social NORMS. Helping was seen as obligatory by friends, family or the church. In offering help they did what they FELT WAS EXPECTED.
* 3) The remaining 37 per cent were moved by EMPATHY, by the suffering of those whose lives were in danger.
AGE
* Developmental differences - young CHILDREN are motivated to help people, older adults much more likely to donate
* LIFE-STAGE differences - have more financial security
TEMPERAMENT
- HAPPY people are helping people (Aknin et al., 2019)
Who is more/less likely to perform helping behaviour: religiousness, gender
RELIGIOUSNESS
- Highly religious research has shown more likely to help - differences are also cross cultural
- but not THAT big of a difference
GENDER
* GIRLS/women are generally more prosocial than boys/men (Xiao et al., 2019
* Women help EVERYONE; MEN more likely to help WOMEN (Eagly & Crowley, 1986)
* Romantic interest
* Masculinity norms (men should help themselves)
* Women more likely to seek help as well (go to doctors, etc)
* Benevolent sexism
Men as aggressors - men less likely to be helped (element of danger?)
What are the multidimensional prosocial measures that can influence helping? !
- Defending - if someone is being made fun of I stick up for them
- Emotional Helping - I try to make others feel better
- Inclusion - I make an effort to include others
- Physical Helping - I perform acts of service
- Sharing - I share with others
Outline the role of attribution bias in helping !
Remember: Stimulus –> Attribution –> Emotion –> Action
Person is in need of help…
External Attribution (its uncontrollable by the victim) –> sympathy –> helping
Internal Attribution (its the victims fault) –> no sympathy –> no helping
What are Brickman et al.’s 4 models of helping?
- Moral Model
- Compensatory Model
- Medical Model
- Enlightenment Model
- Moral Model
Moral Model
- Actors are held RESPONSIBLE both for PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS and are believed to need proper motivation.
- Criminality and alcoholism in this way: ‘you got yourself into this mess, now get yourself out
High responsibility for problem and solution
–> view of human nature is STRONG
–> action expected is EFFORT
–> potential issue: loneliness
–> ANYONE expected to help
- Compensatory Model
–> People are not seen as responsible for problems, but they are RESPONSIBLE FOR SOLUTIONS
- People need power and the helper may provide resources or opportunities that the recipients deserve.
–> Nonetheless, the responsibility for using this assistance rests with the recipient.
–> action expected of them is EFFORT
–> view of human nature is GOOD
–> potential problem: alienation
–> ANYONE expected to help
