Understanding Altruism and Cognitive Dissonance

These flashcards cover key concepts related to altruism and cognitive dissonance as discussed in the lecture notes.

Altruism

Behaviors that benefit others at a cost to the self.

Cognitive Dissonance

A psychological conflict resulting from incongruous beliefs and perceptions, often leading to discomfort.

Self-Perception Theory

Bem's theory suggesting that people infer their attitudes from their behavior rather than by experiencing internal tension.

Kin Altruism

A type of altruism where individuals incur costs to benefit relatives, thereby enhancing the survival of shared genes.

Reciprocal Altruism

A behavior in which an individual acts to help another, expecting that the other will act in a similar manner at some future time.

Misattribution of Arousal

A phenomenon suggesting that arousal can be confused with other emotional states and its source can be misidentified.

Pure Altruism

The motive to help others without the expectation of any benefit or gain for oneself.

Social Rewards of Altruism

Benefits received from social interactions that encourage helping behaviors, such as increased status or positive reputation.

Personal Distress

An emotional response where the observer feels upset or distressed about another's suffering and is motivated to alleviate that distress.

Empathic Concern

An emotional response of compassion and care for another's well-being, motivating altruistic behavior.