CH 11 - Prosocial Behavior: Why Do People Help?

Prosocial Behavior

any act performed with the goal of benefiting another person

Alturism

the desire to help another person, even if it involves a cost to the helper

Darwin’s Theory of Evolution

• natural selection favors genes that promote the survival of the individual

• genes that further survival and increase the probability of producing offspring likely to be passed on

• How can it explain altruism?

Evolutionary Psychology

the attempt to explain social behavior in terms of genetic factors that evolved over time according to the principles of natural selection

• if people’s overriding goal is to ensure their own safety, why would they help others at the cost of themselves?

Kin Selection

• the idea that behaviors that help a genetic relative are favored by natural selection

• increase chances genes will be passed along by ensuring that genetic relatives have children

• natural selection should favor altruistic acts directed toward genetic relatives

• people are more likely to help genetic relatives

The Reciprocity Norm

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

Social Exchange Theory

• what we do stems from desire to maximize rewards and minimize costs

• in relationships with others, try to maximize the ratio of social rewards to social costs

• argues that true altruism does not exist

Helping can be rewarding in a number of ways:

• the norm of reciprocity

  • increase likelihood of future help

• investment in future

  • someone will help use when we need it

• relief of bystander distress

• gain rewards

  • social approval

  • increased feelings of self-worth

The other side is that helping can be costly:

• physical danger

• pain

• embarrassment

• time

Empathy

put oneself in the shoes of another person and experience events and emotions the way the person experiences them

Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis

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

Basic Motives Underlying Prosocial Behavior

• Evolutionary Psychology

  • pass on genes

• Social exchange theory

  • maximize rewards, minimize costs

• Empathy-altruism hypothesis

  • powerful feelings of empathy and compassion lead to selfless giving

Altruistic Personality

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

• other critical factors:

  • situational pressures

  • gender

  • culture

  • current mood

Gender Differences in Prosocial Behavior

• dramatic heroic act vs long-term helping relationship

  • males more likely to help in heroic act

  • females in long-term helping relationship

Cultural Differences in Prosocial Behavior

people in all cultures are more likely to help anyone they define as a member of their in-group than those they perceive in out-groups

In-group

the group with which an individual identifies as a member

Out-group

any group with which an individual does not identify