Prosocial Behaviour

What is Prosocial Behaviour?

Acts that are positively viewed by society

How is something considered prosocial?

Defined by societal norms

What is Helping Behaviour?

Acts that intentionally benefit someone else

What is Altruism?

Acts that benefit another person rather than one's self

What is the biological/evolutionary perspective of prosocial behaviour?

Humans have an innate tendency to help others to pass our genes to the next generation

What is Mutualism?

Prosocial behaviour benefits the co-operator as well as others

What is Kin selection?

Prosocial behaviour is biased towards blood relatives because it helps their own genes

What are some limitations of the biological/evolutionary perspective on prosocial behaviour?

Prosocial behaviour does not benefit the person helping biologically

Strangers helping unrelated strangers

Little empirical evidence exists

Does not explain why we would help in some circumstances but not in others

Social learning theories are ignored

What role do societal norms play in prosocial behaviour?

Developing and sustaining prosocial behaviour is learnt rather than innate

What is the reciprocity principle?

We should help people who help us

What is social responsibility?

We should help those in need, independent of their ability to help us

What is the just-world hypothesis?

Good things happen to good people, bad things happen to bad people

How do children learn to be prosocial?

Giving instructions

Using reinforcement

Exposure to models

What is social learning theory (SLT)?

A way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors.

What is the bystander effect/apathy?

People are less likely to help in an emergency when they are with others than when they are alone

What did Latane & Darley (1968a, 1968b) find regarding the bystander effect?

Very few people intervened in the presence of others, especially when others did not intervene

What is diffusion of responsibility?

Tendency of an individual to assume that others with take responsibility

What is audience inhibition?

Other onlookers may make the individual feel self-conscious about taking action

What is social influence?

Other people provide a model for action. If they are unworried, the situation may seem less serious

What is the bystander calculus model? (Pilliavin et al., 1981)

Three stages when attending an emergency:

Physiological Processes

Labelling the arousal

Evaluating the consequences of helping

What are the physiological processes in the bystander calculus model?

Emphatic concern is triggered when we believe we are similar to the victim and can relate to them; we are more likely to help the person

What is ‘labelling’ the arousal in the bystander calculus model?

Labelling the emotion we feel in a situation

What is ‘evaluating’ the consequences of helping in the bystander calculus model?

Cost-benefit analysis

What evidence contradicts the bystander calculus model?

One bystander intervened in 90% of cases (Philpot et al., 2020)

What are some limitations of Philpot et al's (2020) study criticising the bystander calculus model?

Only in Western cities

Can personality affect the likelihood of helping?

Correlation between dispositional empathy and helping

Causality not tested

Can mood affect the likelihood of helping?

Individuals who feel good are more likely to help someone in need compared to those who feel bad.

Can competence affect the likelihood of helping?

More likely to help if you feel more competent at that specific scenario (e.g. first-aid trained)

How does group membership affect helping behaviour? (Levene et al., 2005)

Helping behaviour increased for in-group members

How can group membership improve helping behaviour? (Levene et al., 2005)

Broadening the boundaries of social categories may increase helping behaviour

How does responsibility for misfortune affect helping behaviour? (Turner DePalma et al., 1999)

People were more likely to help if they were not responsible for the issue

Do people always want help?

Receiving help can be interpreted negatively if it confirms a negative stereotype about the recipient