Prosocial Behaviour Flashcards
Prosocial beh
Beh valued by SOC
Helping beh
Beh that intentionally helps others
Altruism
Helping beh that can costly to the helper + is done without the expectation of personal gain
kin selection - evolution explanation
- we are more likely to help those genetically related to US - survival of the genes
- kinship effect = more likely to help those closer to us
Problems with kin selection explanation
- can’t explain beh aimed at those not genetically related
- Little human evidence
- doesn’t consider env factors
Role of empathy
- emotional response to others distress
- requires perspective taking skill
- females report higher levels than men
- feeling empathy when others are distressed uncomfortable = help to stop uncomfortable
- prosocial beh to reduce unpleasant feelings
Bystander calculus Model ( Piliavin et al)
- more likely to be physiologically aroused if we are close to them/ feel similar
- often label arousal as empathy
- more likely to show empathy if we feel similar to them
Learning Theory - How do children learn to be helpful
- prosocial beh learned during childhood through rewards + punishments
- Telling children to be helpful = helpful beh
- Gruzec et al - invited children to play bowling with experimenter to win marbles
- 3 methods of teaching : instructing ( telling child to donate marble) , modelling (experimenter donates) or both
- Results show no difference in methods
Learning Theory - Internalising parental messages to be prosocial
- Gruzec+ Goodnow
- Accurate perception of message + acceptance of message = internalising
- Accurate perception: pas intentions, given attention , fits into schemas
- Acceptance: parent pleased with beh , Autonomy of Childs actions - more likely to accept if believe they have a choice
Learning Theory - Reinforcement + Modelling
- Rushton + Teachman
- modelling = demonstrating desired beh
- Reinforcement = rewarding/punishing beh
- children invited to bowling + all won 32 tickets, poster saying they could donate tokens
- experimenter modelled + donated some
- 6 conditions
- modelling + pos reinforcement saw the most tokens donated
Bystander effect + helping
In large groups diffusion of responsibility occurs- decreases indiv responsibility
- someone else will do it mindset
- when witnessing a crime alone 75% report but when with others only 10% report
Latane + Darley’s cog model of helping
Attending to what happens + event seen As emergency + assume responsibility + decide what can be done = give help
- Assume responsibility depends on bystanders
physical presence of bystanders - Darley + Latane
- put into booths with microphones to talk to other ‘students’
- recording played a student having a seizure
- can’t communicate with other students - only 1 microphone at once
- ever when don’t physically see other students , when in a larger group less likely to
help = Bystander effect
Number of help-seekers + helping beh
- slovic: helpers tend to feel more empathy for single help-seekers compared to group help- seekers
- cost-benefit calculation by help-seekers (embarrassment VS value of help)
- Bystander calculus model = cost of heIping more than 1 person could be higher than helping just 1
- Roy et al : indivs more likely to help an indiv help-seeker compared to 2 due to higher levels of neg affect
Helping similar people - Ingroup members - Levine et al
- Man u supporters walked into another building + saw someone slip over
- 3 conditions: man u , Liverpool or plain shirt
- sig more likely to help when in man u shirt VS any other shirt
Mood + helping beh
- good mood = more helping beh because more sensitive to others needs + more optimistic
- Bad mood = fewer helping beh because more internally focused
- BUT neg feelings (guilt) can lead to more helping
Guilt + helping
- emotion motivates you to make things right
- restore equilibrium in emotions
- guilt- relevant beh present in 2 year 2 year olds, only 3 year olds
personal attributes predict prosocial beh
- Cupara, Alessandri + Eisenberg
- people who score high attributes of agreeableness + empathetic self efficacy more likely to engage in prosocial beh
- People helping in emergencies tend to be taller stronger
Attachment + helping beh
- Mikulincer
- Attachment styles established in childhood
- securely attached = more compassionate
- children who share, help + comfort continue to do so in adulthood
Living in big cities prosocial beh
- Amato systematic study of effect population size on helping
- As population size of the town increased, helping beh decreased
- Larger populations are in urban settings which may be more influential on helping beh rather than population size
competence t prosocial beh
-Korte -> feeling competent in emergencies makes you more likely to give help
- Midlarsky -> people told they have high tolerance for electric shuck more willing to help people move electrically charged objects
- snotland Heinold-> stranger who was bleeding, people with first aid training helped more than untrained
Leaders + prosocial beh
- Acting as a leader makes you appear more competent
- Baumeister, Chesner, senders + Tice
- Being a leader act as a cue to generalised responsibility
- Leaders don’t experience same degree of diffusion of responsibility as others
Gender differences + prosocial beh
- men are more likely to help women
- Pomazal + clore-> when person in need of help is female, passing cars more likely to stop than for a man, person stopping more likely to be an alone young man
- sexual attraction plays a role
- more physically attractive women receive more help (Benson)
- Przybyla -> All males who had seen erotic video motivated to help female help -seeker, more aroused women felt less likely to help
Helping to prevent crime
- prior commitment can induce prosocial (agreeing to be responsible in advance)
- people more likely to help others it they feel they are responsible whilst witnessing a crime
- Moriaty -> 95% of those engaged with person being robbed ran after the thief
