prosocial behavior

definitely pluralistic ignorance;

fail to interpret situations s emergency

define diffusion of responsibility:

fail to take responsibility

why do people help:

psychological mechanisms

evolutionary perspective for helping

define altruism:

purely unselfish behavior

• driven by empathy: identifying with another, feeling what they feel (empathic concern)

defined the evolutionary perspective:

natural selection favors selfishnes

• exceptions:

  • kin selection

    • especially true if one’s own reproductive days are over

  • reciprocal altruism

    • if you helps someone out there is an expectation that they will help you out in return

      • if too cooperative = not selected. if too selfish = get rejected

what are some other motives for helping:

1. social rewards

2. reducing personal distress

what are the weaknesses of the evolutionary perspective:

struggles to explain some behaviors (if your helping is anonymous, untreated, reciprocity impossible, etc)

hard to disprove