Chapter 12: Prosocial Behavior

Prosocial Behavior

voluntary behavior carried out to benefit another person

2 types of prosocial behavior: define each other them

Egoistic Helping: ultimate goal of helper is to increase their own welfare

Altruistic Helping: ultimate goal of helper is to increase another’s welfare without expecting anything in return

Helping is Consistent with what?

evolutionary theory

Kin Selection

people exhibit preferences for helping blood relatives because this will increase odds that their genes will be transmitted to subsequent generations even though they may incur costs of helping

observed in many species

What does kin selection NOT explain

why we help strangers or nonrelatives

Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis

experiencing empathy for someone in need produces an altruistic motive for helping => ppl often help even when there is not benefit to them and at great sacrifice

What are the 4 external factors and 2 internal factors for why we help?

External: similarity, modeling, social norms, rural vs. urban environments

Internal: mood + personality

Who do we tend to help?

people who are similar to us: sexual orientation, clothing beliefs

Learning to be a helper involves what?

observation & direct reinforcement

3 social norms that define the rules for helping others: define all 3

1) Norm of Reciprocity: maintains fairness in social relationships (ppl should be paid back for what was given => help those who help us)

2) Norm of Social Responsibility: we should help when others are in need + dependent on us (ex. adults feel responsible for children => render assistance regardless of recipient’s worthiness)

3) Norm of Social Justice: we should help only when we believe that others deserve assistance (strong in individualist cultures => if good ppl need help we should help but not really for bad ppl)

Difference in how conservatives and liberals define the rules for helping others

Conservatives: stress individualism, make internal attributes for success/failure, and value social justice norm

Liberals: stress egalitarianism, make external attributions for success/failure, and value social responsibility norm more

High socioeconomic status individuals put a higher priority on what?

Lower socioeconomic status people put a higher priority on what?

satisfying own needs

express more concern for welfare, more trusting, and give her percentage of income to charity

Are people more likely to help in urban or rural areas? why?

rural

in large cities, there is the urban overload hypothesis (milgram) where ppl are bombarded with stimulation and hence don’t pay attention to others + cities are heterogenous, limited connectedness with others

What happens if you’re in a good mood?

What happens if you’re in a bad mood?

more likely to help => more prosocial behavior

less likely to help (unless act of helping can improve your mood)

Altruistic Personalities in general are more likely to do what? is there evidence for this?

help

evidence for genetic basis: twin studies

what characterizes an altruistic personality?

empathy, belief in a just world, social responsibility, internal locus of control, and low egocentrism

Which gender helps more? what kind of ppl do they help more?

men => more likely to help strangers

Gender and helping differences are greatest during what 3 scenarios?

1) presence of audience

2) potential danger

3) person in need is female (especially if she’s attractice)

Women are more likely to provide ___________ and __________ support to others and more willing to serve as what?

social + emotional | caretakers for children and elderly

Kitty Genovese

Who is she? murdered by her apartment and 3-6 neighbors went to their windows to see => only 1 person helped and other people thought nothing was goin on or that she was drunk or beaten up

demonstrates the bystander effect => many ppl already called in so i dont have to

What is the 5 step sequence that the Bystander Intervention involves

1) notice unusual

2) decide if it’s an emergency or help is needed

3) decide whether to help

4) decide what kind of help to offer

5) provide help

Latene + darley’s study on Bystander Intervention Step 2

Design: smoke emerged from the AC where participants sat. Dependent variable = percentage of participants reporting smoke

3 groups: participant alone in waiting rom, participant with 2 other ppl, and participant with confederate of the experimenter who did not react

Result: those who were alone acted while those with the confederates did not act

Diffusion of Responsibility

belief that presence of other ppl in a situation makes one less personally responsible for events that occur in that situation

increases with # of bystanders