In-Depth Notes on Altruism and Aggression

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• A humorous take on personal space and individuality.

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Key Discussion Questions:

• Is there true altruism?
  • Consider the most persuasive evidence you have.
• Which helping norms are most influential?
  • Choices: Norm of social responsibility, norm of reciprocity, personal norms.

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Why Do People Help?

• Altruism vs. Egoism:
  • Altruism: Helping for selfless reasons.
  • Egoism: Helping for selfish reasons.
  • Perception Bias: Individuals often attribute their own helping actions to altruism while viewing others’ actions as egoistic.

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Explanations for Helping Behavior:

1. Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis
2. Mood Management Hypothesis
3. Social and Personal Norms
4. Evolutionary Theory

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1. Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis

• When witnessing someone in distress, empathetic feelings may drive the person to provide help without expecting rewards.
• Empathy: The ability to experience the feelings of another.

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2. Mood Management Hypothesis

• People help others mainly to evict their own negative emotions.
• Helping others alleviates personal feelings of sadness and anticipatory guilt.
  • This view aligns more closely with egoistic motivations than altruistic beliefs.

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3. Social Norms

• Defined as expectations for behavior in specific situations.
  • Norms of Social Responsibility: Encouragement to help those in need.
  • Norms of Reciprocity: Encouragement to assist those who have previously helped us.
  • Personal Norms: Individual expectations formed by one’s personal experiences and history.

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4. Evolutionary Theory

• Kinship Selection: Suggests individuals are more likely to assist relatives to promote the survival of shared genes.

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Predictions of Kinship Selection:

• Higher genetic similarity increases likelihood of helping.
• Help is more likely in life-threatening situations.
• Assistance is mainly directed toward young and healthy genetically similar individuals.

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Threat-to-Self-Esteem Model:

• Reactions to help depend on perception (supportive vs. threatening).
  • Self-Supportive: Help that is received positively, making the recipient feel appreciated.
  • Self-Threatening: Help that can imply inferiority or deviate from personal values.

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Double Binds in Helping Behavior:

• Recipient’s Perspective: Benefits vs. questions of character or ability by accepting help.
• Helper’s Perspective: Fear of negative implications for not helping vs. guilt for not providing assistance.

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Aggression Defined

• Aggression: Any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone against their will.

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Categories of Aggression:

1. Emotional Aggression: Hostile aggression where harm is the end goal.
2. Instrumental Aggression: Aggression that serves as a means to achieve specific goals.

• Direct Aggression: Actions taken directly against the target.
• Indirect Aggression: Actions that harm someone through indirect means.

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Examples of Aggressive Behavior:

• Emotional Aggression:
  • An employee angrily throws a chair at the boss.
• Instrumental Aggression:
  • A bank robber shooting a guard.
• Indirect Emotional Aggression:
  • A tenant deflating the landlord's tires at night.
• Indirect Instrumental Aggression:
  • A woman spreading rumors about her sister's current boyfriend's girlfriend.