W7 Pro-Social Behaviour and Helping
Page 2: Lecture Aims
By the End of This Lecture, You Should Be Able To:
Discuss different motivations for helping.
Define different types of prosocial behaviour, including altruism.
Evaluate whether ‘true’ altruism exists.
Discuss the bystander effect.
Page 4: Definitions
Key Terms
Prosocial behaviour: Actions valued positively by society.
Helping behaviour: Voluntary actions believed to benefit others.
Altruism: Acts that benefit others without expectation of personal gain.
Page 5: Understanding Helping
Levels of Analysis
Different frameworks to analyze helping:
Short-term vs long-term helping.
Person-based vs community-based.
Emergency vs non-emergency helping.
Influence of bystander effects.
Acts of heroism.
Page 6: Factors Influencing Helping
Motivations for Helping
Evolutionary: Biological predisposition to help.
Social Influences: Norms, modeling, social exchange, empathy.
Assumptions: People help more when they are socially or emotionally invested.
Page 7: Evolutionary Perspective on Helping
Biological Predisposition
People have innate tendencies for prosocial behaviour demonstrated in young children. (Hepach, Viash, & Tomasello, 2012)
Helping blood relatives increases the chances of gene propagation, but altruism extends to friends and strangers. (Warneken & Tomasello, 2009)
Paradox: Costs of actions towards one’s own children not explained by this stance.
Page 8: Influence of Social Norms
Types of Social Norms Affecting Helping
Reciprocity: Helping others expecting a return favor.
Page 11: Expanded Structure of Social Norms
Categories Inducing Helping
Reciprocity: Return favors.
Social Responsibility: Duty to help those dependent on us.
Social Justice: Helping those who are deemed deserving of aid.
Page 12: Modelling as a Behavioural Influence
Observational Learning
Learning to help by observing others.
Helps shape behavior based on external influences, teaching individuals what to do in emergencies.
Page 13: Introduction to Social Exchange Theory
Understanding Social Exchange
Considers costs and rewards associated with helping.
Page 15: Rewards of Helping
Benefits of Altruism
Increased likelihood of future reciprocal assistance.
Relief from witnessing distress (Eisenberg et al., 1989).
Improvement in self-image and self-worth (Hardy & Van Vugt, 2006).
Page 16: Costs of Helping
Detriments Involved
Possible dangers, embarrassment, and time consumption impacting willingness to help.
Higher costs can lead to less helping behavior.
Page 17: Study by Shotland & Straw (1976)
Context of the Study
Participants viewed a fight and responded based on perceived danger of intervening.
Perceptions of threat affected willingness to intervene, distinguishing between stranger and domestic disputes.
Page 19: Exploring Empathy
Understanding Empathy
The capacity to emotionally understand another's experience, essential for altruistic behavior.
Page 20: Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis (Batson, 1991)
Core Concept
Feeling empathy motivates us to help others without self-interest.
Study Design
Participants observe a confederate's pain, varied by similarity and escape options.
Observations
Similarity induced more altruistic responses; less empathy led to egoistic behavior.
Conclusion from Results
Empathy for similar others leads to altruistic behavior; absence of empathy leads to self-serving actions.
Page 24: Integrating Theories
Comparison of Theories
Empathy-Altruism Theory: Genuine altruism occurs only when empathy is felt.
Social Exchange Theory: Decisions to help are based on self-interest considerations.
Page 26: Transition to Bystander Effect
Introduction to Part 4
Exploration of how individuals respond in group situations when another needs help.
Page 27: Defining the Bystander Effect
Overview of the Concept
Discuss how the presence of others impacts the likelihood of helping, referencing Darley & Latané (1968).
Page 28: Research on Bystander Responses
Visual Data Presentation
Cumulative percentage data on helping behaviors relative to presumed bystander presence.
Page 29: Understanding Pluralistic Ignorance
Concept Defined
A misunderstanding among bystanders about whether help is required due to the lack of clear signals in ambiguous situations.
Page 30: Decision-Making in Bystander Scenarios
Bystander Effect Decision Tree Overview
Notice the event.
Interpret the event as an emergency.
Assume responsibility.
Know how to help.
Decide to help.
Page 31: Recent Findings on the Bystander Effect
Research Surprising Findings (Philpot et al., 2020)
In many observed conflicts, bystanders often intervene contrary to previous understandings of the effect.
Page 32: Summary of Key Points
Key Takeaways from the Lecture
Various motivations underlie helping behavior, from social norms to personal benefit considerations.
The existence of true altruism is debated within social exchange frameworks.
The bystander effect highlights the complexities of group dynamics in emergencies.
Page 33: Key Terms for Review
Essential Vocabulary
Prosocial behaviour, Helping behaviour, Altruism, Bystander effect, Social norms, Modelling, Social exchange, Empathy, Empathy-altruism theory, Reciprocity, Social responsibility, Social justice, Bystander intervention decision tree.