Helping Others Flashcards
altruism
definition may very–will argue
as long as you aren’t thinking about it being for you
prosocial behaviour
a motive to increase another’s welfare without conscious regard for one’s self-interests
helping that is intended to provide aid to someone else with out expectation of any reward(other that possible good feeling)
comes at cost to helper
intentions matter–helper must intend to benefit other
Motivated by the desire to improve someone else’s welfare (at a cost to self)
humans are generous and unselfish
empathy
no calculation to why you are helping
Why do we help?
Its unusual–other species don’t
Proximate level explanations–What determines when people help?
Ultimate level explanations–What determines why helping exists?
Empathy-altruism hypothesis
see someone suffering, you want to help
feelings of empathy lead (increase helping) to altruism (helping behaviour)
in both cases, someone is getting help, the difference is in motives
more sustained than helping by egotism
empathy refers to the experience that is identical or congruent to the emotion another person is experiencing
empathy entails compassion, concern, warmth and tenderness
egoism
distress leads to this
Motivated by a desire to improve one’s own welfare
ulterior self-serving motive to help
humans are selfish, concerned primarily with own gratification
helping originates from some ulterior motive
weigh cost and benefits
maintaining a good mood by doing something
proximate level explanations of helping
social exchange
feeling goof and being a good person
social norms
social exchange
altruistic
getting something out of it
can be tangible goods(money) or behaviours(thanks)
any action hast reward and cost
we are hedonostic-maximize rewards, minimize costs (choose actions for good profit, avoid with bad)
choice often unconscious–resulting from conditioning (pos/neg response or behaviour)
The theory that human interactions are transactions that aim to maximize one’s rewards and minimize one’s costs
Rewards;
Internal or external,
Increasing self worth,
reclaiming a positive public image,
Reducing distress, guilt
Egoism:The idea that self interest motives all behaviour
feeling good and being a good person
doing something for someone else makes us feel better
social norms
which behaviours are un/acceptable
Being in a good mood
Maintain mood
Positive expectations and thoughts
more likely to help others
promote spontaneous helping and compliance withe request to help–reasons; less preoccupied and concerned about own problems. however may avoid helping in an unpleasant or embarrassing activities that threaten to interrupt or end their good mood.
feel fortunate
see world more positive
mood
general psychological condition
more enduring enduring emotion
can characterize over emotional orientation for hours or even days
less specific emotions
wildely directed
being in a bad mood
taking responsibility for cause of bad mood– more concerned about own problems, less likely to notice others– if another person’s needs don’t grab your attention, you are less likely to help
focusing on other people, depends
focusing on personal values, increases helping behavior
can inhibit (grief/anger) or promote
may see themselves as less fortunate, may resist using own resources, so they don’t becomes disadvantaged
Negative-state relief hypothesis
people may experience bad moods and be motivated to reduce them
people have learned since childhood that helping others will improve their own mood– often through thanks or praise
egotistical motive– to make themselves feel better
the reciprocity norm
An expectation that people will help,
not hurt, those who have helped
them
likely when you may see person again
help people who have helped you and not help those who denied you help
doesn’t have to be direct
pay it forward
helps define “social capital”
common feature of family, friends, coworker
the social-responsibility norm
An expectation that people will help
those dependent on them
expected to help children or those in greater need
Responses are closely tied to
attributions
Gender and receiving help
women help everyone
men help mostly women especially if they find them physically attractive
what yo u”ought” to do
will report doing more good acts if reminded of it
more likely to donate if person knows you are
private and public reciprocation of a favour
people were more willing to pledge an experimental confederate’s charity if the confederate had done a small favour for them earlier, especially when their reciprocation was made known to the confederat
kin selection
preferential helping of genetic relatives
reciprocal altruism
appoximate
Helping someone because it increases the
likelihood you will receive help, or other
benefits
Empathy
The vicarious experience of another’s feeling; putting oneself in another’s shoes
Experiencing an emotion congruent to an emotion someone else is experiencing
Compassion, concern, warmth, tenderness
Feeling another persons pleasure or pain
genuine altruism
When do we help?
Someone else helps
Planted someone on route who was really ill
63% of those helped, if no hurry
1/10 stopped if in hurry
Good Samaritan study (Darley and Latanē) from bible story—planted in brain for this
Time pressure— can have huge effect
Attractiveness—doesn’t matter for women
Receiver demonstrates responsibility (i.e. tried to help self or situation out of their control)—ie/ downtown east side—eventually do not help. Seeing so many people needing help
In group vs out group empathy
Who helps?
Personality;
Emotionality, empathy, & self-efficacy
Personality influences how particular people react to particular situations
E.g., high self-monitoring people when they think helpfulness will be socially rewarded
Gender
Women less likely to help if they are at risk than men
High in self monitoring will more likely help if it is expected
Emotionality, empathy, self efficacy, people are more likely to help
Men more likely to help a stranger and audience
Women more likely to help someone they know, no audience. More likely to ask for help
How can we increase helping?
Reduce ambiguity, increase responsibility
Picking someone in crowd
Enable guilt and concern for self-image
Door-in-the-face( ask for big, then ask for small)
Guilt them for saying no
Socialize altruism;
Teach moral inclusion
Model altruism
Learn by doing
Attribute helping behaviour to altruism
Overjustification effect
Learn about altruism
difference between altruism and egoism
in both cases, someone is getting help, the difference is in motives
audience inhibition
reluctance of individuals to act in a prosocial manner when they are aware of being observed by others
happens when individual things their actions might be judged so they hold back from intervening in situations that require help or support
connects social dynamics at play in both altruistic behaviour and bystander effect
pluralistic ignorance
every group member privately agrees with what is considered to be prevailing attitudes and beliefs of the group as a whole
mistakenly believing that everyone else holds a different opinion from their own
often leads to false consensus
when do we help? the bystander effect
- noticing the event
- interpreting it as an emergency - may be ambiguous, looking for signals from around you
- taking responsibility for helping
- deciding how to help
- providing help - making decision to act, if you do not know person, you are less likely to help
cost may be too large ie/ if you cannot swim, will not help someone who is drowning
diffusion of responsibility
more people you see, less likely you will get hlep
i am not the only person seeing this, someone must have done something, so it is not up to me
