Chapter 9: Prosocial Behavior: Doing What's Best for Others

upstream reciprocity

passing benefits on to third parties instead of returning benefits to one’s benefactors (pay it forward)

prosocial behavior

doing something that is good for other people or for society as a whole

rule of law

when members of a society (including its most powerful leaders) respect and follow its rules

reciprocity

the obligation to return in kind what another has done for us

gratitude

a positive emotion that results from the perception that one has benefited from the costly, intentional, voluntary action of another person

norms

standards established by society to tell its members what types of behavior are typical or expected

equity

the idea that each person receives benefits in proportion to what he or she contributes

equality

the idea that everyone gets the same amount, regardless of what he or she contributes

sensitivity about being the target of a threatenin upward comparison

interpersonal concern about the consequences of outperforming others

underbenefited

getting less than you deserve

overbenefited

getting more than you deserve

direct reciprocity

paying back the same person

generalized reciprocity

performing a similar act towards just anyone

moral reasoning

using logical deductions to make moral judgements based on abstract principles of right and wrong

moral intuitions

judgements (about whether an action is right or wrong) that occur automatically and rely on emotional feelings

cooperation

working together with someone fur mutual or reciprocal benefit

prisoner’s dilemma

a game that forces people to choose between cooperation and competition

altruistic punishment

many people will accept costs in order to punish someone else who breaks the rules

no-zero-sum game

an interaction in which both particiapnts can win (or lose) [the prisoner’s dilemma]

zero-sum games

a situation in which ine person’s gain is another’s loss

forgiveness

ceasing to feel angry toward and seek retribution against someone who has wronged you

obedience

following orders from an authority figure

conformity

going along with the crowd

trust

a confidence that others will provide benefits and/or not harm you, even if they may be temped to do otherwise

kin selection

the volutionary tendency to help people who have our genes

empathy

reactin gto another person’s emotional state by experiencing the same emotional state

egotistic helping

when a helper seeks to increase his or her own welfare by helping another

altruistic helping

when a helper seeks to increase another’s welfare and expects nothing in return

empathy-altruism hypothesis

the idea that empathy motivates people ot reduce other people’s distress, as by helping or comforting

belief in a just world

the assumption that life is essentially fair, that people generally get what they deserve and deserve what they get

bystander effect

the finding that people are less likely to offer help when they are in a group than when they are alone

pluralistic ignorance

looking to others for cues about how to behave, while they are looking to you; collective misinterpretation

diffusion of responsibility

the reduction in feeling responsible that occurs when others are present

audience inhibition

failure to help in front of others for fear of feeling like a fool if one’s offer of help is rejected

volunteering

a planned, long-term, non-impulsive decision to help others