helping

altruism

A motive to increase another's welfare without conscious regard for one's self-interests.

social-exchange theory

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

egoism

A motive (supposedly underlying all behavior) to increase one's own welfare. The opposite of altruism, which aims to increase another's welfare.

reciprocity norm

An expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them.

social capital

The mutual support and cooperation enabled by a social network.

social-responsibility norm

An expectation that people will help those needing help.

kin selection

The idea that evolution has selected altruism toward one's close relatives to enhance the survival of mutually shared genes.

empathy

The vicarious experience of another's feelings; putting oneself in another's shoes.

bystander effect

The finding that a person is less likely to provide help when there are other bystanders.

moral exclusion

The perception of certain individuals or groups as outside the boundary within which one applies moral values and rules of fairness. Moral inclusion is regarding others as within one's circle of moral concern.

overjustification effect

The result of bribing people to do what they already like doing; they may then see their actions as externally controlled rather than intrinsically appealing.