Module 11 - Prosocial Behaviour - combined powerpoint

Prosocial Behaviour: Actions valued positively by society that benefit others.
Helping: Specific actions intentionally aimed at providing a benefit to another person.
Altruism: Selfless acts intended to benefit others without expecting any personal gain.

Donating $100 to charity for a social incentive (playing tennis with a celebrity) can be considered helping but not pure altruism.
A firefighter rescuing an elderly woman from a fire, risking injury, exemplifies altruism.
A high school student dedicating 10 hours weekly to clean the Nerang River represents a positive societal contribution.

Values Related to Prosocial Behaviour:
- Positive association with benevolence and universalism.
- Negative association with achievement and power.
Self-transcendence (valuing others) promotes helping, contrasting with self-enhancement (individual gains).

Evolutionary Psychology:
- Suggests biological factors influence social and moral behaviours.
- Kin selection: helping relatives increases the chance of one's genes being passed on.
- Evidence includes studies on kinship and health affecting altruistic acts.
Social Learning Theory:
- Emphasizes learning through observation and rewards.
- Models include both real-life examples and media influences.
Social Exchange Theory:
- Behaviour stems from a desire to maximize benefits and minimize costs associated with helping.
- Benefits include social approval, while costs may involve time and danger.
Bystander-Calculus Model:
- Involves analyzing physiological arousal, labeling emotions, and evaluating consequences before deciding to help.
Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis:
- Posits that empathetic feelings toward someone in distress can motivate altruistic behaviours.
- Acknowledges the potential for self-interest (egoistic motivations) to influence helping behaviours.

Mood: Positive moods increase helping likelihood. Negative moods (like guilt) can also enhance prosocial actions.
Personality: Traits such as agreeableness and a need for approval correlate with higher helping behaviours.

Similarity: We are more likely to help those perceived as similar to ourselves.
Attractiveness: Physically attractive individuals often receive more help.
Responsibility: Those seen as needing help through no fault of their own are more likely to be assisted.

Urban vs. Rural Differences: Individuals in rural areas tend to provide more help than those living in urban settings, primarily due to situational pressures.
Cultural Differences: Variations in prosocial behaviour across different cultures, with individualistic cultures tending to show less altruism compared to collectivist cultures.

The tendency of bystanders to be less likely to help as the number of witnesses increases. Aspects affecting this include:
- Ambiguity of the emergency situation.
- Pluralistic ignorance (looking to others for cues).

Strategies include educating about the bystander effect and promoting proactive behaviour in emergencies through training in first aid and safe intervention practices.