Prosocial Behaviour

Question 1

What are the 5 steps of the Bystander Intervention Tree? Impediments to helping at each step?

Answer 1

1. notice event
2. interpret emergency
3. assume responsibility
4. know how to help (lack of knowledge or skill)
5. decide to help (weigh costs)

Question 2

1. Notice Event (hurry or distracted = less helping) (experiment)

Answer 2

Good Samaritan Study
- seminary students (discuss the parable), someone stooped over, hurry manipulation, low, medium and high
Results: when hurry condition was high less likely to help

Question 3

2. Interpret Emergency (experiment)

Answer 3

fill out questionnaire on problems of urban life, smoke fills room while working
Results: alone = 75% help (6 minutes)
group of 3 (38% help)

Question 4

pluralistic ignorance

Answer 4

phenomenon where bystanders assume nothing is wrong because everyone else looks unconcerned

Question 5

diffusion of responsibility

Answer 5

each bystander’s sense of responsibility to help drops as the number of bystander’s increases

Question 6

3. assume responsibility (experiment)

Answer 6

study on student life, participants seated alone in cubicle, discuss student life with 1,3, or 5 people via intercom, one has seizure during conversation
Results: more people = less help

Question 7

What is the “feel good, do good effect”?

Answer 7

good mood = doing good

Question 8

What is the “feel good, do good effect”? (evidence)

Answer 8

52 males studying at library (provide cookies vs walk by), willingness to help with data collection that was either helpful or distracting to others
Results: people who received cookies were willing to help more on tasks that were helpful then distracting to others

Question 9

What factors did we discuss to increase helping? (3 things)

Answer 9

positive moods, positive models, education

Question 10

What are the benefits of helping?

Answer 10

people like helpers, helping others leads to happiness

Question 11

What are the benefits of helping? (evidence)

Answer 11

$5 or $20, either personal (bill expense or gift for self), prosocial (gift for someone else or charity)
Results: prosocial reported happier after giving $5