MODULE 13.1 Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior

Social psychologists

study social behavior and how people influence one another.

altruistic behavior

helping others without a benefit to ourselves

prisoner’s dilemma

a situation where people choose between a cooperative act and a competitive act that benefits themselves but hurts others

diffusion of responsibility

We feel less responsibility to act when other people are equally able to act

• proposed by Bibb Latané and John Darley (1969)

pluralistic ignorance

a situation in which people say nothing, and each person falsely assumes that others have a better informed opinion

social loafing

the tendency to “loaf” (or work less hard) when sharing work with other people.

frustration-aggression hypothesis

the main cause of anger and aggression is frustration—an obstacle that stands in the way of doing something or obtaining something

Rape

sexual activity without the consent of the partner