Prosocial behaviour

Question 1

What is meant by prosocial behaviour?

Answer 1

Defined as behaviour that is performed to assist others with no external motivation.

Question 2

What is meant by alturism?

Answer 2

Behaviours that are performed to assist other with no external motivation and no self-reward. Helping and doing good, selflessness and sacrifice

Question 3

Prosocial behaviour is linked to values of:

Answer 3

1. Benevolence and universalism (positive association)
2. Achievement and power (negative association)

Question 4

What are the 4 explanations for prosocial behaviour?

Answer 4

1. Evolutionary psychology
2. Social learning approach
3. Social exchange theory
4. Empathy-altruism hypothesis

Question 5

What is evolutionary psychology?

Answer 5

Assumes that there are evolved biological factors underlying in some social and moral behaviours
AND
Organisms motivated to pass on many genes into next generation

Question 6

What were the results of Burnstein et al., 1994 study on evolutionary psychology?

Answer 6

Closer kinship resulted in more helping sibling -> niece/nephew -> cousin
Healthy helped more than the sick

Question 7

What is gene-culture co-evolutionary theory?

Answer 7

Proposes that behaviours that contribute to survival are more likely to be taught to the next generation

Question 8

In gene-culture co-evolutionary theory are societies that promote self-sacrifice likely to out-survive prosocial groups?

Answer 8

Yes - more benefit when helping ingroup

Question 9

How does social learning occur?

Answer 9

1. Direct Instruction - Telling children to be helpful
2. Operant Conditioning - Rewards (reinforcement) for helping. More rewards when helping more likely to help. Punishment for helping, less likely to help
3. Modelling - Real-life models, TV, video games

Question 10

What are the benefits of engaging in prosocial behaviour?

Answer 10

• Social approval
• Relieves personal distress
• Increases feelings of self-worth
• Increases chance someone will help us in the future

Question 11

What is the cost of prosocial behaviour?

Answer 11

• Risk/danger
• Takes time
• Takes money
• Takes effort

Question 12

What is the empathy-altruism hypothesis?

Answer 12

states that feelings of empathy for another person produce an altruistic motivation to increase that person’s welfare but in response we might feel personal distress

Question 13

What is altruistic helping?

Answer 13

Attempt to help, regardless of what we have to gain or lose

Question 14

What is egoistic helping?

Answer 14

Might not help OR
Help out of self-interest
(egoistic helping – to gain benefit/avoid cost) .

Question 15

What is perceiver characteristics?

Answer 15

individual observing the situation where prosocial behaviour/help might be needed

Question 16

What is receiver characteritics?

Answer 16

the individual who is the potential recipient of the prosocial behaviour/help

Question 17

What is a perceivers likelihood of prosocial behaviour?

Answer 17

1. Personality: Some characteristics associated with greater prosocial behaviour (e.g., internal locus of control & high need for approval) + Little evidence of a generalised ‘altruistic’ personality
2. Gender: evidence lack in gender differences but social roles associated with gender more influential then gender

Question 18

What is a receiver’s likelihood of prosocial behaviour?

Answer 18

1. Similarities - more likely to help someone similar to us
2. Attractiveness - more likely to help attractive people