Social Psychology: Altruism and Conflict Resolution
Introduction to Altruism and Bystander Intervention
Altruism gained attention in social psychology after the murder of Kitty Genovese on March 13, 1964.
Genovese was stabbed and raped in Queens, New York, while bystanders failed to intervene despite hearing her cries for help.
Bystander Intervention Theory
Social psychologists John Darley and Bibb Latané (1968) explored the factors influencing bystander inaction.
Proposed that the presence of others affects an individual's decision to help.
Outlined a three-step decision-making process that leads to helping behavior:
Noticing the incident.
Interpreting it as an emergency.
Assuming responsibility for helping.
Notably, the presence of others can inhibit these steps, leading to nonintervention.
Experimental Findings on Bystander Behavior
Conducted an experiment simulating an emergency where one participant feigned an epileptic seizure.
The results indicated that individuals who thought they alone could hear the cries for help were more likely to assist.
Those aware that multiple bystanders were present showed significantly reduced helping behavior, illustrating diffusion of responsibility.
Statistical Insight:
In situations with only one bystander, approximately 40% helped, while only 20% helped in the presence of five others.
The Broader Implications of Bystander Nonintervention
Analysis extends to global issues where lack of apparent individual connection leads to apathy towards large-scale humanitarian crises (e.g., hunger, disease, genocide).
Empirical evidence suggests a correlation between the number of bystanders and the likelihood of intervention across multiple scenarios.
Factors Influencing Helping Behavior
Several factors increase the likelihood of helpfulness:
Perception of need: The more someone appears to need help, the more likely we are to assist.
Similarity: People are more inclined to help those who are similar to them.
Gender: Helping behavior is often influenced by gender, with women generally receiving more help.
Witnessing Helpfulness: If one witnesses someone else demonstrating help, they are more likely to help as well.
Situational Factors:
Being in a hurry decreases the likelihood of offering assistance.
Small towns or rural areas may encourage more helping behaviors due to community ties.
Guilt, focus on others, and a positive mood can also drive individuals to offer help.
The Psychology of Generosity
Happiness can enhance prosocial behavior:
Quote: "Oh, make us happy and you make us good!" - Robert Browning (1868)
Research Finding: Happiness is reciprocated in helping behavior; individuals who engage in altruism report higher levels of happiness.
Study: Participants assigned to spend money on others reported greater happiness than those spending on themselves.
Social Exchange Theory and Helping Norms
Social Exchange Theory: Posits that human interactions are motivated by self-interest to maximize rewards and minimize costs (utilitarianism/cost-benefit analysis).
Example: When considering blood donation, individuals assess time, discomfort, and future rewards (e.g., social approval).
Social Norms influencing helping behaviors:
Reciprocity Norm: Expectations to return help in response to kindness received.
Social-Responsibility Norm: Obligation to help those in need regardless of costs, prominent during crises, such as COVID-19.
Heroic Acts and Altruism in Action
Example of altruism in practice:
Lori Gilbert-Kaye shielding her rabbi during a mass shooting showcases heroic helping behavior.
Religious Influence on Altruism
Research indicates highly religious individuals show greater tendencies towards charitable donation and volunteerism.
Survey findings: Highly religious people are about 50% more likely to give to charity and volunteer within the past month.
Understanding and Addressing Conflict
Elements of Conflict
Defined as a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas.
Factors contributing to conflict include social traps and mirror-image perceptions.
Social Traps
Situations where personal interests conflict with collective well-being.
Example: Hoarding during crises can harm communal resources.
Encourages reflection on balancing personal rights and responsibilities towards collective welfare.
Mirror-Image Perceptions
Concept explaining how conflicting parties often dehumanize each other, leading to a cycle of hostility.
Each side views the other as unjust and malicious, exacerbating conflict.
Self-fulfilling Prophecies: Expectations and perceptions about the other's behavior often lead to actions that justify those beliefs.
Strategies for Conflict Resolution and Peace
Contact Hypothesis
Positive contact between conflicting groups can improve perceptions and reduce hostility.
Degrees of positive correlation found between multicultural settings and acceptance of outgroups.
Cooperation and Superordinate Goals
Shared goals achieved through cooperation can mitigate conflict.
Researcher Muzafer Sherif's boy camp example demonstrated how shared predicaments can foster friendships.
Communication and Mediation
Importance of mediators in facilitating better communication and cohabitation between conflicting parties, leading to mutually beneficial outcomes.
Conciliation and GRIT
GRIT (Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-Reduction) framework can de-escalate conflicts and promote cooperative engagements through small conciliatory gestures.
Notable historical examples include diplomatic gestures leading to the U.S.-Russia test-ban treaty.
Cultural Cooperation and Future Directions
Civilization progresses through shared cultural contributions and cooperative engagements.
Encourages celebrating cultural diversity while establishing common ground in diverse communities.