prosocial behaviour Flashcards
what is prosocial behaviour?
behaviour positively valued by society
what is helping behaviour?
intentional behaviour which benefits others
what is altruism?
acting to benefit another person without expecting personal gain
why do people help others?
evolutionary perspective
learning to be helpful
social norms
empathy altruism hypothesis
what is the evolutionary perspective?
evolutionary success- survival of genes in subsequent generations
prosocial tendencies exist as we are genetically predisposed to act socially, and this leads to evolutionary success
what is the first evolutionary perspective?
kin selection
what is the second evolutionary perspective?
recipricol altruism
what is kin selection?
evolutionary benefit to those who help relatives
more inclined to help relatives than unrelated individuals
what did Burnstein et al (1994) find out about kin selection?
looked at our tendencies to help in situations
healthy vs sick, everyday vs life or death
more likely to help healthy people in life or death situations, more likely to help sick people in everyday situations
who proposed recipricol altruism?
Penner at al, 2005
what is recipricol altruism?
helping others increases the likelihood that they will help us
benefits may add to evolutionary success as it increases our status in the community
how do we learn to be helpful?
observational learning
modelling
reinforcement- acts that are rewarded are more likely to be repeated
what are social norms?
the norms for helping: reciprocity principle, social responsibility
what is reciprocity principle?
we should help those who help us
what is social responsibility?
we should help people who are dependent and in need, without thinking of future exchanges
what is the empathy altruism hypothesis?
perception that someone needs help
perspective taking
empathetic concern
altruistic motive- goal to increase another person’s welfare
who proposed the empathy altruism hypothesis?
Batson et al, 1987
how is the Kitty Genovese murder an example of the bystander effect?
Kitty Genovese was attacked and killed on her way home
in the half hour attack, none of her neighbours helped
1 anonymous phone call to the police half an hour later
38 people admitted hearing the screaming
what is the bystander effect?
people are less likely to help in an emergency when they are with others than alone
what is bystander intervention?
individual breaks out of the role of a bystander and helps another person
who proposed the cognitive model of bystander intervention?
Latane and Darley, 1970
what is the cognitive model of bystander intervention?
notice the incident
interpret the incident
accept personal responsibility for helping
decide what can be done
what processes contribute to bystander apathy?
diffusion of responsibility
audience inhibition
social influence
competence
mood
