What is prosocial behaviour?

actions that are more beneficial to others and have positive outcomes, intentions matter

What is altruism?

a motive to increase another’s welfare without conscious regard for one’s own interests

What is egoism?

self-interest is the primary or even only, motivator of human actions; explains social behaviours like reciprocity and cooperation

What are the evolutionary perspectives on helping? What are the mechanisms for overcoming selfishness?

helping behaviour is an inherent, genetic trait that has evolved over time and passed down from generation to generation, seen as beneficial for survival

• 4 mechanisms for overcoming selfishness

  • kin selection - “carry me genes and I’ll favour you”

  • direct reciprocity - “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours”

  • indirect reciprocity: “i’ll scratch your back, you scratch someone’s, and someone will scratch mine”

  • group selection: back scratching groups survive

What are social responsibility norms?

people will help those dependent on them

• ie. gender - women receiving more offers of help, women receive more offers of help in general, collectivist culture

What are norms of reciprocity?

• we invest in others and expect dividends

• ppl who cannot reciprocate may feel demeaned by accepting aid, especially those w high self-esteem

• cultural differences also affect how ppl respond to this

What is social exchange theory? What is cost-benefit analysis?

motivates us to help; we help those who have helped us

• cost benefit analysis

  suggests that ppl implicitly weigh the costs and benefits of helping; human interactions are transactions that aim to maximize one’s rewards and minimizes one’s costs

What is bystander effect and intervention?

bystander effect

an individual is less likely to help someone in distress when there are other ppl present [ie. the Kitty Case]

reasons why we won’t intervene if there’s a crowd

1. interpreting the situation/ambiguity of the situation

2. evaluation apprehension

3. diffusion of responsibility

4. perceived risk