Prosocial Behaviours Flashcards
What are prosocial behaviours?
behaviours that are valued by society
What are helping behaviours?
behaviours that intentionally help others
What is altruism?
helping behaviour that can be costly to the ‘helper’, and is done without the expectation of personal gain
What is the kinship effect?
we are more likely to help those who are closer to us
Evolutionary explanation of prosocial behaviour
Suggests we are innately helpful towards others
We are more likely to help those who are genetically related to us – survival of the genes
Monozygotic twins more likely to be supportive of each other than dizygotic twins
When and who are we more likely to help?
Life or death situations, more likely to help healthy people
Everyday situations, more likely to help sick people
Significantly more likely to help siblings than cousins or nieces or nephews
Issues with purely evolutionary explanations of prosocial behaviour
Cannot explain behaviour which is aimed at helping those who are not genetically related (e.g. adoptive parents/children)
Does not consider environmental factors (e.g. learning prosocial behaviour)
Little human evidence
Cannot isolate nature from nurture as they feed into each other
How does empathy play a role in prosocial behaviour?
Feeling empathy for others when they are in distress is uncomfortable for us
Not helping others can result in feelings of guilt - uncomfortable emotion
prosocial behaviour may be purely a means to reduce these unpleasant feelings
What is the bystander calculus model?
How likely we are to show prosocial behaviour
- physiological arousal
- labelling arousal
- evaluating the consequences
More likely to feel aroused if you perceive the person to be more similar to you e.g family, in same social group
More likely to have a higher empathy response so more likely to help
Is prosocial behaviour taught? - learning theory, marbles
Three methods of ‘teaching’
Instruction – experimenter told child to donate one marble
Modelling – experimenter donated one of their own marbles
Instruction and Modelling – both of above
Analysis showed no difference between the three conditions suggesting instruction is as effective as modelling on its own, and instruction and modelling together
What do children need in order to internalise a message?
An accurate perception of the message (Needs to be consistent with what they have previously been told, needs to have positive intention towards the child)
have acceptance of the message (motivating for them to do e.g will please their parents, does the child have autonomy?)
What is the most effective way of teaching prosocial behaviour that will last? - tokens
Strongest effect was seen when modelling and positive reinforcement was provided. Followed by just modelling.
Two weeks later, children invited back and reminded how to play the game as well as option to donate their tokens
Results suggest modelling and reinforcement together has lasting effect
Modeling with no reinforcement has a significant effect immediately but has no significant effect two weeks later, same as control
Model of giving help
Attend to what is happening - notice the situation
Define as an emergency - realise they need help straight away
Assume responsibility - own perception of competence, if you’re alone or in a crowd
Decide what can be done
The more of these that are present the more likely you are to offer help to that person
What is the bystander effect?
we are less likely to help when others are present
we’re still less likely to help when we perceive more people to be present (even though we can’t see them) - over a microphone, seizure experiment
Are we more likely to help an individual or a pair?
more likely to help and believenothers are more likely to help an individual help-seeker compared to two help-seekers
less likely to help when the help-seeker is accompanied (even though that person doesn’t need help)
