Prosocial Behavior Lecture

A collection of flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to prosocial behavior, altruism, and the factors influencing helping behavior.

Prosocial Behavior

Action by an individual intended to benefit another individual or set of individuals.

Egotistic Motivation

The idea that people's actions are motivated by self-interest when helping others.

Altruistic Motivation

The desire to help another person purely for the other person's benefit, regardless of any benefit to oneself.

Kin Selection

The evolutionary strategy that favors reproductive success of an organism's relatives.

Reciprocal Helping

A behavior in which individuals help those who have helped them, creating a pattern of mutual aid.

Social Exchange Theory

The theory that people provide help to someone else when the benefits of helping outweigh the potential costs.

Dispositional Attribution

The belief that a person's behavior is due to their inherent qualities or personality.

Situational Attribution

The belief that a person's behavior is due to external situational factors.

Bystander Effect

The phenomenon in which individuals are less likely to help a victim when other people are present.

Pluralistic Ignorance

A situation where individuals mistakenly interpret others' inaction as a sign that help isn't needed.

Diffusion of Responsibility

The tendency for individuals to feel less responsible to act when others are present.

Empathy-Altruism Model

The theory that empathy leads to altruistic behaviors.

Guilt

A feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, or wrongdoing.

Prosocial Development

The progression of behaviors that support positive interactions with others.

Priming Prosocial Behavior

The process of introducing cues or stimuli to trigger prosocial actions.

Urban Overload Hypothesis

The theory that urban environments lead individuals to become less responsive to stimuli due to overwhelming inputs.

Altruistic Personality

A set of personal characteristics that predispose an individual to act altruistically.

Empathy Gap

The disconnect between the empathy one feels for oneself versus the empathy felt for others.

Collective Guilt

Guilt felt by a group of people for the actions of other members of the group.

Social Norms

The expected standards of behavior within a group or society.

Self-Interest

The personal gain or advantage that prompts actions.

Emotionally Responsive Parenting

Parents who model empathy and responsiveness encourage prosocial behavior in children.

Social Responsibility Norm

The expectation that individuals will help those dependent upon them.

Helping Behavior

Any action designed to benefit another person.

Motivational Interviewing

A counseling approach that helps a person to find their own reasons for change.

Egoistic Motivation

Helping others primarily to alleviate one's own distress or reduce guilt.

Altruism

Selfless concern for the well-being of others.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

A decision-making process that compares the costs and benefits of an action.

Causal Attribution

The process of inferring the cause of events.

Social Inclusion

The process of improving the terms of participation in society.

Aversive Racism

A theory positing that those who consciously reject racism may still harbor unconscious prejudices.

Cultural Norms

Behaviors that are considered normal or typical within a specific culture.

Sociability

The tendency to seek and enjoy social interactions.

Attachment Theory

A psychological model describing the dynamics of long-term interpersonal relationships.

Behavioral Scripts

Cues that guide behavior in specific situations.

Positive Affect

The experience of pleasant emotions.

Role Identity

The identity one takes on in specific social roles that can guide behavior.

Need to Reduce Arousal

The inclination to help in order to alleviate uncomfortable feelings associated with witnessing distress.

Helping Norms

Expectations within a culture regarding how much individuals should help others.

Selflessness

The quality of putting the needs of others before one's own.

Personal Distress

An emotional response to the anxiety and suffering of another.

Empathy-Based Helping

Assistance given to another influenced by feelings of empathy.

Moral Reasoning

The process of determining right or wrong in a given situation.

Groupthink

A psychological phenomenon where the desire for harmony in a decision-making group leads to irrational outcomes.

Prosocial Scripts

Cues or behavioral templates that encourage helping behavior.

Responsibility to Help

The belief that one has a moral obligation to provide assistance when another is in need.

Facilitative Norms

Social expectations that guide individuals towards helping behaviors.

Helping Potential

The likelihood of an individual to offer assistance to those in need.

Community Responsibility

The notion that individuals have an obligation to contribute to the well-being of their community.