Prosocial Behaviour Flashcards
Prosocial Behaviour
Actions intended to benefit others that also helps self in some way
Altrusim
Helping other people for no possible benefit for self
How does the evolutionary model explain prosocial behaviour
Likelihood of survival depends on support networks, more likely to help people who have our genes and/or will help back
Inclusive fitness
Our fitness included in the survival of kin, therefore willing to help them
According to kin selection, would you save someone with no reproductive fitness (i.e. grandma)
Not as likely to
Why will the Carnegie hero fund not give their altruism prize to anyone who saves a family member?
Kin selection, therefore not true altruism
According to Bernstein et al, when does kinship matter
During life or death situations (more likely to help kinship havers)
According to Bernstein et al, how does age factor into helping
- Everyday life help youngest and oldest (helpless)
- Life/death help youngest
According to Bernstein et al, how does gender factor into helping in everyday scenarios
Men - help young/old
Women - help regardless of age
According to Bernstein et al, how does gender factor into helping in life/death scenarios
Men - youngest/oldest
Women - more likely to help than man. Generally more likely to help younger women
According to Bernstein et al, why are you less likely to feed a baby during a famine?
Baby needs more resources to grow to reproducing age. Might not even survive famine
According to Bernstein et al, what age range would be most likely to receive food during famine?
10-18
Negative state relief model
People help others to counteract their own feelings of sadness
Empathy-altruism hypothesis
Empathetic concern for a person in need produces altruistic motive for helping
Bystander effect
Presence of others inhibits helping
What are some theorized reason that Kitty Genovese’s 38 neighbours didn’t save her?
- Ambiguity
- Evaluation apprehension
- Pluralistic ignorance
- Diffusion of responsibility
In the “Woman in distress experiment”, what was the main factor that prevented help
Pluralistic ignorance
In the “Woman in distress” experiment, what 2 IVs were most likely to help within 2 minutes?
Alone and participant + friend
What is evaluation apprehension?
Can’t tell if it’s an emergency or not
In the “seizure” study, what was the main factor that prevented people from helping?
Diffusion of responsibility
What is the 5 step Bystander intervention model?
- Notice the event
- Interpret as emergency
- Decide it’s your responsibility to help
- Decide what to do to help and whether that idea works
- make conscious decision to help
Why does the woman in distress experiment text pluralistic ignorance and NOT diffusion of responsibility?
- Ambiguous event
- Able to communicate others
Why does the seizure experiment measure diffusion and not pluralistic ignorance?
- Not ambiguous whatsoever
- No ability to communicate
- more witnesses = less likely to help
Why does the ability to communicate with other influence helping behaviour?
Try to gather information about situation from other witnesses facial expressions while staying calm yourself. But they’re doing the same thing. Everyone appears calm = incorrect assumption that ur big chillin
How does the 5 step bystander intervention model increase helping (3)
- reduce ambiguity
- clarify responsibility
- awareness of bystander effect makes you less susceptible to it
How does the bystander effect change in dangerous emergencies?
Smaller and even reversed
Why is the bystander effect decreased/non-existent in dangerous scenarios? (3)
- Low ambiguity
- Increased arousal
- Others as source of physical support
What are the 2 predictions of “altruism” in negative state-relief model?
- Helping boosts our mood
2 Only help if no easier way to boost our mood
When is the empathy-altruism model more supported?
If empathy increases helping regardless of mood
When is the negative state relief model more supported?
If empathy only increases helping if helper is in a negative mood state
What were the (summary) findings of Cialdini et al., on neg state relief (3)
- Empathy induces a negative state
- Empathy doesn’t increase helping if negative state is associated with empathy is relieved
- Therefore empathy = egoistic
According to Isen et al., does a positive mood increase likelihood of helping?
The closer need to help is to good mood induction, more likely you are to help
Why does a good mood increase chance of helping?
Cycle of pos behaviour, good mood, and positive thoughts
Does a good mood ALWAYS increase helping?
No, helping unlikely if it will reduce positive state
