Ch 11 - Prosocial Behavior

Prosocial behavior

Any act performed with the goal of benefiting another person.

Altruism

The desire to help another person, even if it involves a cost to the helper and no benefit.

Kin selection

Caring for a relative's life, even at a cost to the organism's own survival.

Reciprocity norm

The expectation that helping others will increase the likelihood that they will help us in the future - fits with social exchange theory

Social exchange theory

The theory that human interactions are transactions that aim to maximize one's rewards and minimize one's costs.

Empathy-altruism hypothesis

The idea that when we feel empathy for a person, we will attempt to help that person for purely altruistic reasons, regardless of what we have to gain.

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.

Bystander effect

The finding that the greater the number of bystanders who witness an emergency, the less likely any one of them is to help.

What moods affect prosocial behavior?

Feeling happy or gulity -being kind to feel better about yourself

Kitty Genovese case

A famous case study in social psychology that highlighted the bystander effect after a woman was attacked and killed while hundreds of witnesses failed to intervene.

Bystander intervention tree

A model outlining the steps a person must take to intervene in an emergency, including noticing the event, interpreting it as an emergency, assuming responsibility, knowing how to help, and implementing the decision.

How can prosocial behavior be increased?

Helping can be increased by learning about bystander intervention studies, increasing intrinsic motivation for volunteerism, and fostering empathy and awareness of others' needs.