Human Prosociality (10.18 Lecture)

Question 1

what makes humans unique

Answer 1

humans work together to accumulate knowledge and skills across individuals and generations

Question 2

what is the incorrect theory about why humans are unique?

Answer 2

generally smart: enhanced memory, faster learning, greater robust logical reasoning, longer-range planning

Question 3

how are humans able to work together to accumulate knowledge and skills

Answer 3

socially smart - greater motivation and ability to coordinate behavior and psychological states with others, which creates accumulated skills and knowledge. This creates cumulative cultural evolution (“ratchet effect”) which can build upwards without losing progress

Question 4

what is an example of the ratchet effect?

Answer 4

rock –> hatchet –> hammer –> etc.

Question 5

what is prosociality?

Answer 5

intentional behavior performed with the goal of benefiting others (ex. parents caring for child, charity, etc.)

Question 6

what are the ultimate explanations of prosociality?

Answer 6

immediate benefits, kin selection, direct reciprocity, indirect reciprocity

Question 7

immediate benefits

Answer 7

prosociality in cooperation and collaboration can bring immediate benefits for all parties (ex. lions helping each other take bigger animal down –> larger meal)

Question 8

kin selection

Answer 8

prosociality preserves genes

Question 9

direct reciprocity

Answer 9

prosociality ears us future favors from the recipient

Question 10

indirect reciprocity

Answer 10

prosociality earns us future favors from the group (get benefit from someone not directly involved) (ex. obligate collaborative foraging: must collaborate to get food, people who don’t help don’t eat, people who help get food, important to pick good partner) –> motivation to collaborate and be seen as a good collaborator

Question 11

how do humans make themselves seen as a good collaborator (indirect reciprocity)

Answer 11

visibility - prosociality increases when people can make good deeds visible to other people in group (ex. “I voted” sticker)
accountability - prosociality should increase when there are social consequences for behavior

Question 12

public goods game study

Answer 12

group of people with an amount of money, if all donated, more money to charity, but if one person didn’t, they get more and less money to charity. Found that when didn’t discuss with people and made decisions alone, fewer and fewer people donated to charity but when they were able to gossip, everyone donated. (gossip –> accountability)

Question 13

is prosociality innate? (toddler study)

Answer 13

experimenter dropped something to see if toddlers would help, and they did. second study: puppet show with helpful and hurting object, preferred the helpful object (has to have googly eyes to look ‘human’).

Question 14

is prosociality automatic?

Answer 14

system 1 vs. system 2. Most public hero award recipients reported acting without thinking (system 1). (public good games with time pressure) – fast decision led to donating more to charity

Question 15

when are people less prosocial?

Answer 15

immediate benefit: when nothing in it for us
kin selection: when those in need aren’t related
direct reciprocity: when you won’t interact with someone in the future (favor won’t be returned)
indirect reciprocity: when behavior isn’t visible and there’s no accountability (ex. social media)

Question 16

how do being in large groups impact a sense of responsibility when someone is in need?

Answer 16

less likely to help if large group

Question 17

bystander effect

Answer 17

more people present, each person is less likely to help

Question 18

study of someone on phone when receiver calls out for help

Answer 18

if on the phone by themselves, more likely to call for help vs. if in a room with multiple people on the call

Question 19

pluralistic ignorance

Answer 19

people collectively ignorant of each other’s true attitudes and beliefs

Question 20

diffusion of responsibility

Answer 20

people feel less individual responsibility when in a group (social referencing) look around to see response of others (visual cliff from emotion lecture, look to others to see how to respond) everyone tries to play it cool even if nervous on the inside, so then everyone ends up not acting

Question 21

how does self-focus impact the likelihood people engage in prosocial behaviors?

Answer 21

we are more likely to think about ourselves and therefore less likely to help other people’s needs.

Question 22

good samaritan study

Answer 22

people invited as a guest speaker, but when they get there asked to walk across a park to the event space where someone is laying down passed out. When people are told they are in a rush, don’t stop and see if the person needs help, but when have more time, more likely to stop and see if they’re okay.

Question 23

when people aren’t in your group, is it likely they will be prosocial?

Answer 23

ingroup members have reputations you know about and you can hold them accountable.
outgroup people have an unknown reputation and you aren’t able to hold them accountable.

Question 24

us vs. them

Answer 24

when people are in power, they prefer people “like them”

Question 25

Mann U jersey study

Answer 25

3 people in need: one with Mann U jersey, one with Liverpool jersey, one with plain white shirt.
Pt 1: asked before why Mann U is the best team, then didn’t help the Liverpool person
Pt 2: asked before why soccer is the best sport, then helped rival team but not white shirt person