Week 11

Question 1

What is Prosocial Behaviour?

Answer 1

Behaviour that benefits another person

Question 2

What is Altruism?

Answer 2

Desire to help another, to improve their welfare, regardless of whether we derive any benefit. Helping another without conscious regard for one’s self-interest

Question 3

Why do we help?

Evolutionary Theory

Answer 3

Survival of the Fittest: The “Selfish Gene”
In a way, altruism does not make sense from evolutionary standpoint: If we are dead we cannot pass on our genes
Should see survival of “selfish gene” because those who helped would surely die out

Helping has survival advantages:
Kin Selection: Help your kin = Help your genes

Question 4

Experiment that supports the idea of helping the kin.

Answer 4

There are three people who want you to come over and help with a household chore they are unable to complete:
A cousin
A sister
An acquaintance
You have time to help only one  

Results: more likely to help the sister

Question 5

Experiment that supports the idea of helping the kin in a more severe situation.

Answer 5

There are three people asleep in different rooms of a burning house:
A cousin
A grandfather
An acquaintance
You have time to rescue only one. Which do you save?

Degrees of relatedness is amplified when the situation is severe

Question 6

Why do we help strangers?

Answer 6

Reciprocity: Help strangers = Help your survival chances

Question 7

What is Reciprocal altruism?

Answer 7

Reciprocal helping: we expect to have favours returned, increases our overall fitness

Question 8

What 2 forms does Reciprocal altruism have?

Answer 8

Direct reciprocity: Helping someone who may help you later

Indirect reciprocity: Help someone; someone else helps you later

Question 9

Why people engage in PSB(pro social behaviour) : Helping and Social Norms

Answer 9

Norm of reciprocity
Norm of equity
Norms of social responsibility
Concerns about justice or fairness
Cultural norms

Question 10

What is norm of equity?

Answer 10

Underbenefited
- Getting less than you deserve
- Become angry and resentful
Over Benefited
- Getting more than you deserve
- Experience guilt

Fairness requires balancing
Unique to humans

Question 11

What is Norms of Social Responsibility?

Answer 11

Social influence
Sometimes helping due to peer pressure, social norms, social influence
“reluctant altruism”

Question 12

What does Concerns about Justice and Fairness

Entail?

Answer 12

Agreeableness
Humility
Moral reasoning
Empathy

Question 13

What are some Cultural Norms?

Answer 13

Rural vs. Urban
Religion
- Buddhism - typically Prosocial
Collectivism vs. Individualism 
- Indvulisms tends to give more
Socioeconomic status
- Poor people tend to be more charitable than richer people
- Poorer people value helping others

Question 14

According to social exchange theory, does altruism exist?

Answer 14

No

Question 15

What is Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis?

Answer 15

When we feel empathy for a person we will attempt to the help them regardless of what we have to gain
Help motivated by empathy lasts longer than when there is not empathy (help for some other reason, e.g., rewards)

Question 16

What are 2 emotional components of empathy?

Answer 16

Personal distress → egoistic motive ( we want to help others so we don’t feel bad)
Empathic concern → altruistic motive (we want to help others so they don’t feel bad anymore)

Question 17

What are motivations for helping?

Answer 17

Egoism
Reciprocity 
Negative state relief theory(help to reduce your own distress)
Altruism
- Expects nothing in return for helping
- Motivated by empathy

Question 18

How to tell the difference between egoism and altruism?

Answer 18

If egoistic motive, helping should decline when escape from the situation is easy
If altruistic motive, help is given regardless of ease of escape

Question 19

Telling the difference between egoism and altruistic study

Answer 19

Participant asked if she would trade places with distressed confederate
IV:
Empathy manipulation: previously told that confederate shared many similar attitudes and values, more empathy towards those are similar to us
Escape manipulation: whether or not participant had to continue watching confederate receive shocks if they did not trade places with her (study almost done or still a long way to go)

People with a lot of empathy for the person getting the shocks were eager to relieve them.
Low empathy people chose to get out the the situation completely

Question 20

Beginning of Bystander Effect Research: Kitty Genovese, what happens?

Answer 20

New York City, 1964: Kitty Genovese was murdered by Winston Mosley over the course of half an hour. She was raped and stabbed repeatedly. After her assailant left, she staggered to the corner and screamed for help. Of the 38 people who heard from the nearby apartments, no one helped or called the police.

Question 21

What is the Bystander Effect?

Answer 21

The greater the number of bystanders who witness an emergency, the less likely it is that any one of them will help
We are more likely to help when we are alone than with other

Question 22

What are the 5 steps to deciding to help someone?

Answer 22

Notice the event
Interpret as emergency 
Assume responsibility 
Know how to help
Decide to help

Question 23

Notice the event study

Answer 23

Good Samaritan study
Theological seminary students going to give talk about “Good Samaritan”
IV: Manipulation of time pressure
On the way, pass a “victim” slumped in doorway
DV: Do they stop to help?(Darley& Batson, 1973)

Only 10% stopped to help

Question 24

Interpret as Emergency?

Study

Answer 24

No one else seems worried (pluralistic ignorance)
Smoke pouring into testing room
IV: Alone or in groups
DV: Reporting smoke
Alone, hesitated only a moment
In groups of 3, only 1 person in 8 groups reported smoke in first 4 minutes (Latane & Darley, 1968)

Question 25

Assume Responsibility?

Study

Answer 25

There are others who can help (diffusion of responsibility)
Completing questionnaire when I hear crash and woman in next room scream “My ankle! I can’t get this thing off me!”
IV: Other present in the room
DV: Helping

Question 26

What does know how to help and decide to help mean?

Answer 26

Know how to help - I don’t know CPR, I can’t swim, etc.

Decide to help - Fear for own safety, embarrassed by rejected help

Question 27

How to get help in a crowd?

Answer 27

You are in a crowd, and you desperately need help
Reduce ambiguity and diffusion of responsibility
Make it clear that you need help
Single out individual
“You, in the red jacket –I need your help. Call 911

They Notice You - Understand help is Needed - Know they’re Responsible - Know how to Help