Prosocial. Behavior: Why Do People Help?

Egoistic helping refers to:

primary goal: benefit self

Altruistic helping:

primary goal: benefit someone else

According to Charles Darwin’s (1859) theory of evolution:

natural selection favors genes that promote the survival of the individual

The idea that behaviors benefiting relatives are favored by natural selection is known as:

kin selection

Which of these best reflects the norm of reciprocity?

“I will help you now, only if you will return the favor and help me when needed.”

Social exchange theory argues

we help others to maximize our own rewards and minimize our personal costs

How does egoistic helping boost extrinsic reward?

social reinforcement

How does egoistic helping boost intrinsic reward?

self-affirmation

According to Batson, empathy is purely altruistic and argues

we help others in need by putting ourselves in the shoes of others

Empathy-altruism hypothesis (Batson):

when we feel empathy for another person, we will attempt to help that person, regardless of what we have to gain

When a person decides to help because they would feel guilty if they didn’t:

self-interest based helping

In Batson’s empathy-altruism experiment, what was the main goal of the study?

to determine whether helping comes from empathy or self-interest

How did researchers manipulate empathy in Batson’s study?

by telling participants to imagine how the person felt vs. stay objective

What was the “high-cost” condition in the experiment?

participants would see carol in class and feel guilty if they did not help

What happens in Batson’s research in the low-empathy condition?

people helped only when it was beneficial to them

Which finding BEST supports the empathy-altruism hypothesis?

people helped even when costs outweigh benefits

People who have an altruistic personality,

show qualities that cause an individual to help others in a variety of situations

Which statement best reflects gender differences in prosocial behavior across cultures?

men are more likely to take risk-taking behavior; women offer more emotional support

Simpatia refers to

a range of social and emotional traits (being friendly and helpful toward others)

The good mood effect:

we are more likely to perform social behavior when we are in a good mood

What was the condition in Isen & Levin’s study?

planted a dime on the ground

What types of bad moods encourage prosocial behavior?

guilt and sadness

An example of a bad mood causing you to help:

churchgoers are more likely to donate money to charities before attending confession, to reduce their guilt

What does the urban overload hypothesis state?

people in cities are overwhelmed by too much stimulation, and they keep to themselves

Costly signaling theory:

signaling one’s health, strength and usefulness to the group (allow for norm reciprocity)

What are the three sides of empathy

social cognition, sympathetic concern, cognitive empathy

The bystander effect claims

a phenomenon where the greater the number of bystanders who witness an emergency, the less likely they are to help

Which of these best reflects pluralistic ignorance?

interpreting an event as a nonemergency

According to Rushton’s experiment on “The Social Learning of Altruism”?

kids learn to help through observation and reinforcement through adults

According to Latane & Darley’s study, how many participants reported the smoke when in three-person groups?

12%

Why did the participants in Latane’s and Darley’s study feel a diffusion of responsibility when someone was having a seizure?

there were other witnesses they assumed would take action

What did Greitmeyer discover in his study about prosocial behavior and video games?

he found that playing prosocial video games increase people’s empathy towards helping others

According to Beaman’s study, how many of the participants stopped to help the person in need after hearing the bystander lecture?

43%

In Darley and Batson’s experiment, what factor MOST influenced whether seminarians helped the man in distress?

time pressure

In the Good Samaritan study, which group was MOST likely to help?

ahead of schedule

What concept explains why people in groups look to others to decide if something is an emergency?

pluralistic ignorance

In the “take responsibility” study, who helped the MOST?

participants alone

Cherry argued that earlier bystanders overlooked which important factors?

gender of victim and relationship to perpetrator

According to Cherry, why might earlier studies like (Latane & Darley) be limited?

they ignored social context variables

In Scotlands & Straw, what was the IV?

perceived relationship between victim and attacker

What was the DV in Shotland & Straw study?

any form of intervention

Participants in Shotland & Straw’s study were most likely to help when?

the victim was a stranger

Which percentages match the findings of Shotland & Straw (1979)?

Stranger: 65%, Married: 19%

Which of the following BEST describes a communal relationship?

providing emotional support and care when needed

A business partnership where both parties expect equal return?

exchange relationship

Which scenario BEST represents an exchange relationship?

paying a coworker back for lunch