Helping and Withholding Help

A set of vocabulary flashcards capturing key concepts related to helping behaviors and the psychology behind them.

Prosocial behavior

Behavior whose immediate intention is to help or benefit others.

The bystander effect

Phenomenon where people are less likely to help a victim when other people are present.

Empathy-Altruism Model

A model suggesting that empathic concern for another leads to altruistic helping.

Norms of social responsibility

A societal expectation that individuals should help those in need.

Apathy or diffusion of responsibility

A tendency for individuals to feel less responsible to act when others are present.

Emotional rewards in helping

The positive feelings one may experience as a result of helping others.

Altruism

Helping behavior motivated by a genuine desire to benefit others.

Egoism

Helping behavior motivated by the expectation of personal rewards.

Superficial processing in helping

Quick, emotional responses to emergencies that limit thoughtful analysis.

Systematic processing in helping

Thoughtful and planned responses to help that consider the situation more carefully.

Forms of help

Types of assistance characterized as dependency-oriented or autonomy-oriented.

Group identity and bystander effect

The way a person’s identification with a group can influence their likelihood to help.

Negative-state relief model of helping

A theory suggesting that individuals help to alleviate their own negative emotions.

Valuing me and mine

The tendency to help in-group members based on perceived similarity and relationships.

Decision tree of helping

A sequential process including noticing, defining an emergency, taking responsibility, and deciding to help.

Increasing pro-social behavior in society

Strategies to encourage helping behavior, including reducing ambiguity and promoting identification with those in need.