Helping*

Name and explain one principal of helping behavior that is shown by Kitty Genovese case

Bystander effect- the presence of others inhibits helping behavior Diffusion of responsibility- belief that others should or will take responsibility for helping

What type of people help more often

Empathetic people Prosocial people

Describe the results in the graph and explain how this illustrates the empathy altruism hypothesis

Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis Adopt Others perspective ? ↗ yes → empathetic concern → Altruistic motive → reduction of others distress ↘ no → personal distress → egoistic motive → reduction of own distress

Note sharing study

IV1- researchers tell participants to either "be objective" or "take others perspective" "A random tape is chosen" Carol marcy: describes accident that put her in a wheelchair, feels she'll fail classes IV2- she's either in their class section or not Letter to the viewer requesting they help her by becoming a notes buddy Those who were told to take the other person's perspective were more empathetic and were as likely to help whether or not Marcy was in their class section Those who were told to be objective took a social exchange approach to the situation and were very unlikely to help if she wasn't in their class.

If your boat is sinking & you can only save your brother or your friend what evolutionary psychology explains why this principle says you'd choose your brother?

Kinship selection- the evolutionary theory that says helping behavior is genetically adaptive, you help those who are genetically related to you in order that your common genes survive.

What type of helping do women/men do?

Men help in heroic ways Women help in nurturing ways that require commitment

Name 5 steps of Bystander Intervention according to Darley and Latane.

Noticing- circumstances that may require help Good samaritan study, heading to a job interview you're either late, on time, or early, if you're on time or early you're more likely to notice someone needs help because you're paying attention to your surroundings Interpreting- that help is needed Ambiguity is common, sometimes its hard to determine if someone's situation requires assistance Assuming responsibility you must put the responsibility upon yourself to want to assist another, anonymity increases diffusion, and certain group roles (nurse, doctor, fireman) decrease diffusion Deciding-how to help What would help? Do I have skills? (Drowning the person if I can't swim). Remember indirect help: Call others or 911 Helping behavior Weighing costs and benefits Embarrassment of misinterpretation Getting sued Physical danger Audience inhibition; looking stupid in front of others, self-presentational concerns

What evidence is there that models of helping behavior increase helping in others?

Parents who are more prosocial tend to have more prosocial children Freeway study

If you needed help what could you do to increase the likelihood that a bystander would help you? That is, how would you help a bystander navigate the 5 steps?

People more likely to help if Someone is attractive (think of the lost grad student application study, where people were more likely to mail a lost application if the picture on the front was of an attractive person) Victims who arent personally responsible for the situation are more likely to get help The victim is similar Yelling fire will get bystanders attention because their life could possibly be in danger as well

What is pluralistic ignorance and describe one experiment that shows its role in delaying helping behavior?

Pluralistic ignorance- believing your thoughts and feelings are different from those of others even though everyones behavior is the same (Latane & Darley 1968) Participants are filling out a questionnaire when smoke enters the room, If alone 75 percent responded within 7 mins A group of three 38 percent respond

According to social exchange why do people help those who are not family & other times they do not help?

Reciprocal altruism- helping others increases the likelihood they'll help you Helping those who help you is (a) better than helping no one (b) better than helping everyone

Freeway Study

The freeway study: car needs tire change, people drive by and see someone (a confederate) helping change the tire, later on down the road they see a car that needs help, since they saw helping behavior previously they're more likely to help

Describe Darley & Latane's seizure study. What do these results tell us about helping when others might help as well?

There is a group discussion where the participant is the only person, one of two people, and one of five people can help, the group discusses issues students have and one student mentions having epilepsy, then they begin to have a seizure. The time it took the participant increased with the amount of people in the room. This is a clear example of the diffusion of responsibility- belief that others should or will take responsibility for helping

Define true altruism and provide an example?

prosocial behavior that does not benefit the helper in any way → the desire to increase another's welfare Ex. Arlon the hero from the plane crash that gave his life to save others from freezing to death in the river