Chapter 11: Prosocial Behavior and Helping Theories

A set of flashcards covering key concepts related to prosocial behavior, theories of helping, and factors influencing people's willingness to assist others.

Prosocial Behavior

An act that is meant to help someone else.

Altruism

The desire to help someone else even if it hurts you or does not affect you.

Kin Selection

Helping genetically similar others increases the amount of one's own genes passed on.

Norm of Reciprocity

The principle that helping others will lead them to help us in the future.

Social Exchange Theory

The theory that helping stems from the desire to maximize rewards and minimize costs.

Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis

The idea that feeling empathy for a person will lead to altruistic helping regardless of personal gain.

Urban Overload Hypothesis

The idea that people in urban areas are overloaded with stimulation and thus less likely to help.

Bystander Effect

The phenomenon where the more people who witness an event, the less likely any one of them is to help.

Diffusion of Responsibility

A social phenomenon where individuals feel less personal responsibility to act when others are present.

Negative State Relief Hypothesis

The theory that people help others to alleviate their own sadness or distress.