Social Psych Ch. 11 - Prosocial Behavior

Prosocial Behavior

Any act performed with the goal of benefiting another person

Kin Selection

The idea that behaviors that help a genetic relative are favored by natural selection because it increases the chances their genes will be passed on to the next generation

Altruism

The desire to help another person even if it involves a cost to the helper

Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis

The idea that when we feel empathy for someone in need, we are more likely to engage in altruistic behavior towards them. Purely for altruistic reasons, regardless of what we have to gain

Bystander Effect

The phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present, often due to a diffusion of responsibility.

Diffusion of Responsibility

The tendency for individuals to feel less personal responsibility to act when others are present, often leading to inaction in emergency situations.

Pluralistic Ignorance

A situation where individuals mistakenly believe that their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors are different from others in a group, leading to inaction or conformity. This can result in individuals not taking action

Good Samaritan Study (Darley & Batson 1973)

A study examining how situational factors influence helping behavior, particularly in a context where participants were asked to give a talk and encountered a person in need on their way. The study highlighted the impact of time pressure on whether individuals offered assistance.

The “time-constraint” variable mattered a ton.

63% of participants in the “early” condition stopped to help the stranger.

45% of participants in the “on-time” condition stopped to help the stranger.

10% of participants in the “late” condition stopped to help the stranger.

Individualistic Societies regarding helping behaviors

tend to emphasize personal autonomy and self-reliance, which can lead to lower rates of prosocial behavior compared to collectivistic societies that prioritize group harmony and interdependence.

Collectivist Societies regarding helping behaviors

tend to prioritize group welfare and community, often resulting in higher rates of prosocial behavior, as individuals feel a strong obligation to help others within their group.

Burnstein, Crandall, & Kitayama (1994)

Japan and US, found that people were more likely to help family members in life-threatening situations than in non-life-threatening ones

Phone Booth Dime Study

An experiment that examined whether people would help a stranger in need through a coin drop in a public phone booth, illustrating the impact of situational factors on prosocial behavior.

Social Exchange Theory

A psychological perspective that posits human interactions are based on the exchange of rewards and costs, suggesting that people are more likely to engage in prosocial behavior when the perceived benefits outweigh the costs.

Over-Justification Effect

The phenomenon where being rewarded for an activity can undermine intrinsic motivation, leading individuals to become less likely to engage in that behavior when external rewards are removed.

Altruistic Personality

A set of personality traits that predispose individuals to engage in selfless behavior and help others without expecting any personal gain.

• People in all cultures are more likely to help anyone they define as a member of the in-group than those they perceive as out-group

Effects of Mood on Prosocial Behavior

1. Good moods make us look on the bright side of life

2. Helping others can prolong our good mood

3. Good moods increase self-attention

Negative-Self Relief Hypothesis

Suggests that individuals may engage in prosocial behavior to alleviate their own negative emotions or distress.

Urban Overload Hypothesis

The theory that urban life can lead to sensory overload, causing individuals to withdraw from social interactions and become less likely to engage in prosocial behavior.

• People in small towns are more likely to help others due to greater social connections and lower population density

• A review of dozens of studies found that when an opportunity for helping arises, it matters more where the incident occurs (rural or urban) than where the witnesses grew up

Exchange Relationships

are social relationships in which individuals give and receive benefits, often with the expectation of reciprocity.

Communal Relationships

are social relationships where individuals prioritize the well-being of others without expecting direct reciprocation.

Tesser’s Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model

We “bask in reflected glory” when a friend does well on a task that we don’t care about. We feel bad about ourselves by comparison when a friend excels in something important to us. We are less likely to help a friend than a stranger with things important to us

Herbet Simon (1990) argued that

it is highly adaptive for individuals to learn social norms. The best learners of a society’s norms and customs have a survival advantage, and the ability to learn social norms has become part of our genetic makeup