Prosocial Behavior & Positive Relationships

Casual helping

Assisting others in a low-stakes or informal context, often without a significant personal investment.

Substantial person helping

Providing significant assistance to someone in need, often requiring time, effort, or resources.

Emotional helping

Offering support that addresses the emotional needs of others, such as listening or providing comfort.

Emergency helping

Immediate assistance provided in response to a crisis or urgent situation.

Kin selection

A biological theory suggesting that individuals are more likely to help relatives to enhance the survival of shared genes.

Norm of reciprocity

A social norm that suggests individuals should return favors or kindnesses received from others.

Social exchange theory

A theory positing that social behavior is the result of an exchange process, where individuals seek to maximize benefits and minimize costs.

Empathy-altruism theory

A theory suggesting that feelings of empathy for another person can lead to altruistic behavior.

Bystander effect

A social phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present.

Pluralistic ignorance

A situation where individuals rely on the actions of others to judge an ambiguous situation and erroneously concluding action is not needed.

Diffusion of responsibility

The tendency for individuals to feel less responsible for taking action when others are present.

Agreeableness

A personality trait characterized by being compassionate, cooperative, and friendly toward others.

Altruism

Selfless concern for the well-being of others, often leading to helping behaviors without expectation of reward.

Cost-reward model

A model that suggests individuals weigh the potential costs and rewards of helping before deciding to assist.

Cost-benefit analysis

A systematic approach to estimating the strengths and weaknesses of alternatives in decision-making.

Egoism

The ethical theory that treats self-interest as the foundation of morality.

Helpfulness

The quality of being willing to help others; a trait associated with prosocial behavior.

Negative state relief model

A theory suggesting that individuals help others to relieve their own negative feelings or distress.

Other-oriented empathy

Empathy that focuses on the feelings and experiences of others, leading to altruistic behavior.

Personal distress

An emotional response to another person's suffering that can lead to feelings of anxiety or discomfort.

Prosocial behavior

Actions intended to benefit others, including helping, sharing, and cooperating.

Prosocial personality orientation

A personality trait characterized by a tendency to engage in prosocial behaviors.

Reciprocal altruism

A form of altruism where individuals provide help with the expectation that the favor will be returned in the future.

Friendship recession

A decline in the number or quality of friendships, often due to social changes and leading to social isolation.

Systemic forces

Underlying social, economic, or political factors that influence behavior and relationships.

Suburban sprawl

The expansion of urban areas into surrounding rural land, often leading to increased social isolation.

Third spaces

Social environments separate from home and work where individuals can gather and interact.

Gig economy

A labor market characterized by short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs.

Romantic recession

A decline in romantic relationships or dating, often linked to social changes.

Social isolation

A state where individuals have minimal contact with others, leading to feelings of loneliness.

Capitalization

The process of leveraging positive experiences or achievements to enhance social relationships.

Self-expansion model

A theory suggesting that individuals seek to grow and expand their identities through relationships.

Active-constructive responding

A communication style that involves actively engaging with and supporting another person's positive experiences.

Passive-constructive responding

A communication style that involves acknowledging another person's positive experiences but in a less engaging manner.

Active-destructive responding

A communication style that focuses on highlighting the negative aspects of another person's positive experiences.

Passive-destructive responding

A communication style that ignores or dismisses another person's positive experiences.

Relationship bank account

A metaphor for the emotional savings account of a relationship, where positive interactions are deposits and negative interactions are withdrawals.

Positive deposits

Positive interactions that strengthen a relationship, contributing to emotional closeness.

Negative withdrawals

Negative interactions that weaken a relationship, leading to emotional distance.