Prosocial Behaviour

Question 0

What is the bystander calculus model?

Answer 0

When attending to an emergency the bystander calculates the perceived costs and benefits of providing help.
Pilvians view is that failing to help can cause distress to a bystander who empathises with a victims plight. Therefore there are personal costs to not helping e.g. Experiencing blame.

Question 1

Evolutionary psychology advances four reasons for helping behaviour. What are they?

Answer 1

1. Mutualism: cooperative behaviour that benefits the cooperator as well as others; a defector will do worse than the cooperator.
2. Kin Selection: a cooperator is biased towards blood relatives because it propagates ones own genes.
3. Reciprocity
4. Sanctioning: punishing defectors can defer cheating and make cooperation more likely in the future.

Question 2

Bystander effect

Answer 2

In an emergency people are less likely to help when they are alone than with other people. The greater the number of people the less likely they are to help.

Question 3

Diffusion of responsibility

Answer 3

Tendency of an individual to assume that others will take responsability.

Question 4

Fear of social blunders

Answer 4

Dread of acting inappropriately or of making a fool of oneself in front of witnesses.

Question 5

Social responsibility norm.

Answer 5

We should help people who are dependent and in need.

Question 6

Commons dilemma

Answer 6

Social dilemma in which cooperation by all benefits all but competition by all harms all.