Week 10 : Prosocial behaviour

What is prosocial behaviour

Any act performed with the goal of ebenfitting another person

What is altruism

The desire to help another person even if it costs you

What is kin selection

Evolutionary concept that we make behaviours that help a genetic relative because it is favoured by genetic selection

What is norm of reciprocity

The expectation that helping others will increase the likelihood that they will help us in the future

What emotion has evolved to regulate reciprocity by creating a motivation to return favours

Gratitude

What does social exchange theory think regarding prosocial behaviour

Much of the prosocial behaviour we do is for selfish reasons

What are 3 rewards that one can receive by helping someone

• relief of personal distress

• Increased social approval

• Enhanced feelings of self worth

What is the empathy altruism hypothesis

When we feel empathy for someone we will attempt to help them purely for altruistic reasons regardless of our own personal gain

What is altruistic personality

the qualities that cause an individual to help others in a wide variety of situations

In western societies, what type of helping behaviour are MEN most commonly associated with

Chivalrous and heroic acts

In western cultures, what type of helping behaviour is more commonly associated with the female gender

Long term nurturing and providing social support to friends

What is the in group

the group with which you identify as a member of

What is the out group

The group with which you dont identify with

Why do we typically help in group members

Empathy

Why do we typically help out group members

Social exchange reasons

In the dime study, does being in a good mood increase helping behaviour

Yes

What is the feel good, do good phenomenon

When we are more likely to help others when they are in a positive mood

Why does sadness sometimes lead to an increase in helping behaviour

Helping others is rewarding and when we are sad we want to make ourselves feel better

How does feeling guilty impact the likelihood of a person helping another

because people believe good deeds can cancel out bad ones

What is urban overload hypothesis

The theory that people living in cities are constantly bombarded with stimulation and that they keep to themselves to avoid being overwhelmed by it

What is the bystander effect

The tendency for any given bystanders to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present

What was the result of the Good Samaritan study regarding student who were in a hurry

Students in a hurry tended to stop and help less than those who were not in a hurry

What is pluralistic ignorance

Error of assuming that no one in a group perceives things the same as we do

How does pluralistic ignorance reduce people from helping

We assume nothing is wrong since no one else is concerned

Diffusion of responsibility

Tendency for individuals to feel diminished responsibility for their actions when they are surrounded by others who a re acting the same way

Why might mandatory volunteering programs decrease a persons desire to volunteer int eh future

Due to over justification effect

What is over justification effect

The effect of promising a reward for doing what one already likes to do, the person may now see this reward as motivation for performing a task rather than interest

What is simpatico in the context of helping others

A range of social and emotional traits including being friendly polite and helpful

What is the bystander intervention model steps

1. Notice event

2. Interpret it as an emergency

3. Decide it is their own personal responsibility to act

What were the conclusion of the kitty genovese case

Researchers studied the bystander effect, diffusion of responsibility, also the case was one of the reasons 911 was put in place

What is diffusion of responsibility

The tendency for individuals to feel diminished responsibility for their actions when they are surrounded by others who are acting the same way

When crisis is occurring who is most likely to get help by strangers

Men dressed well; woman; not respectable looking man

What is pro social spending

How much money people spend on others

In the study done where college students were given either 5 or 20 and told to either spend it on themselves or others, who was more satisfied

the ones that were told to spend the money they were given on others

At what age do children start engaging in helpful behaviour

18 months