Pro - and anti social behaviour of the individual

Factors influencing pro-social behaviour

There are several specific influences on the likelihood of people engaging in pro-social behaviour. These include the situation (the characterisation of the situation), social norms, personal characteristics of the helper, and altruism.

Factors influencing anti-social behaviour

factors influencing antisocial behaviour include the situation and the bystander effect.

Pro - and anti-social behaviour of the individual

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Decisions for stage model of helping

1. noticing the need for help 2. deciding that it is an emergency 3. deciding to take responsibility 4. deciding on a way to help 5. taking action to help

Mood

A person's mood has been found to influence their propensity to behave in a prosocial ways. Generally, people who are in a good mood are more likely to demonstrate pro-social behaviour than people who are in a bad mood.

Social norms

A very important influence on the development and maintenance of pro-social behaviour in social norms. A norm is a from of action or behaviour that is standardised and expected in a society; in other words, behaviour is that society regards as 'normal'. Norms are learned, and they provide a background for human social interaction. two norms that are influenced in pro-social behaviour are the reciprocity principle and the social responsibility norm.

Forms of aggression

Aggression can be the act of a single person or a group of people. Aggression can be physical behaviour such as pushing, shoving, hitting and rape. Aggression can be non physical, involving behaviour such as threatening speech, verbal insults and unpleasant facial expressions.

Explanation - Biological (nature)

Anti-social behaviours, such aggression, are see as genetic, where humans instinctively behave to protect themselves and other members of their species, and to compete for scarce resources.

Explanation (nature) Biological

Description is a part of sociobiology, which sees pro-social behaviour as genetic - humans naturally assist others as a way of protecting our common gene pool.

Diffusion of responsibility

If nobody in the group responds to the emergency, then it is possible each bystander has experienced a diffusion of responsibility. This is where the presence of others leads each bystander to feel less responsible for helping the person in need. Though when you are alone you are more likely to help.

Cost benefit analysis model

Includes both cognitive and psychological processes. it suggests when the bystander is confronted with an emergency, he or she weighs up the costs and benefits of providing help compared to those not helping

Aggression

Is a behaviour, directed towards another person or people, which is intended to cause harm. Gang fights , riots, child abuse, bullying, homicide, rode rage, rape, domestic violence, ethnic cleansing and verbal abuse are examples of aggression.

Altruism

Is a unique influence on prosocial behaviour where, for no personal gain and sometimes at great personal cost, a person helps others due to a deeply felt concern for fellow human beings

1. Hostile aggression

Is emotional, impulsive and driven by pain or distress. It is intended to hurt another person, even if it results in damage of personal relationships or property (for example hurting family friends). This aggression is usually a response of pain, perceived danger or threats, or an uncomfortable environment, such as extreme temperature.

Anti-social behaviour

Is the behaviour that is harmful to others and ultimately, to the community. Anti-social behaviour can take many forms. It can be hostile (meaning emotional impulsive and driven by pain or distress) and be in response to a immediate situation, or can be instrumental as a result of deliberate planning over time. two types of anti-social behaviour are harmful to individuals and society are aggression and prejudice

2. Instrumental aggression

Is the result of deliberate planning, where aggressor (for example an assassin, bank robber or embezzler) has no personal feeling towards the person or people they are hurting.

Deindividuation

Is where individuals are more likely to commit antisocial behaviour in a situation where they can't be identified personally. Being in a crowd for example in the case of rioting gives a person anonymity because personal identity in concealed. It also removes feelings of guilt.

Bystander intervention

One of the most influential aspects of a situation is whether a potential helper is alone or with other people. Bystander intervention is where a person voluntarily helps someone else. The bystander effect is where a bystander is more likely to help others in an emergency when he or she is alone than when there are often other bystanders around.

Characteristics of pro-social behaviour

Pro-social behaviour is helping behaviour that benefits other people and society in general. Pro-social behaviour is usually voluntary, because it is intended to benefit others. it includes aiding and assisting, charity, cooperation, friendship, rescuing, sacrificing, sharing, sympathy, trust and bystander intervention. sometimes prosocial behaviour can be altruistic because it involves helping others for no reward, and this might also be at a personal cost to the helper. Pro-social behaviour can be an automatic response to an immediate situation, or it can be deliberate and occur over time.

Model influences

That is why it is important who is a role model in society where learning and aggression has a major influence o the study of aggression. However on a positive note if violent behaviour is learned, then it can also be controlled. - bobo doll experiment

Nature of the bystander

The nature of the bystander can influence the potential to help. This includes a range of factors including an individual's past experiences of helping behaviour, awareness of norms, level of moral development, personality, similarity to the victim, relationship to the victim, and mood at the time of the incident.

The situation

The characteristics of the particular situation will have an influence on whether an individual will behave in a prosocial way. If a situation is a clear-cut need for help, it is more likely that people will assist. if the situation is ambiguous, then help might not be forthcoming. The environmental setting can also influence the likelihood of helping being offered to people in need; for example, people living in densely populated urban settings

Audience inhibition

The presence if other bystanders or onlookers can make a potential helper feel self-conscious and thus inhibit helping behaviour. This is also known as fear of social blunders, where people are afraid that others will judge them by their actions if they make an incorrect move.

Proximity of the vicitm

The proximity of the victim to the bystander influences the action of a potential helper. The greater the distance between the victim and the bystander, the less responsible the bystander will feel.

Social influence

The reaction of other bystanders will influence the likelihood of help. If the other bystanders appear unconcerned, then potential helpers might not perceive the situation to be one that warrants assistance. one the other hand, if the crowd appears concerned, then it is likely that bystanders will provide help.

Interaction between biological and environmental factors (nature and nurture)

This approach suggest that although we might be born with an innate tendency to help others, exactly how we help is the product of social learning.

The interaction between nature and nurture

This approach suggests that. although we might be born with an innate tendency to some forms of anti-social behaviour, exactly how we act in antisocial ways is the product of learning from environment

Environmental (nurture) explanation

This is the view that anti-social behaviour is not innate, but is learned during the socialisation process. It suggests that classical and operant conditioning and also observational learning all contribute to the development of anti-social behaviour.

Environmental (nurture)

This is the view that pro-social behaviour is not innate, but that it is learned during the socialisation process. it suggests that classical and operant conditioning, and social learning(also referred to as observational learning) all contribute to the development of prosocial behaviour. Children can learn pro-social behaviour by copying the pro-social behaviour of others around them, and through being rewarded for appropriate behaviour.

Social learning theory to explain Pro-and anti-social behaviour (nurture). social learning

This theory suggests that pro-social and anti-social behaviour can be learned through vicarious experience, where one person learns a behaviour by watching another person's behaviour and seeing the consequences of that behaviour. This process involves modelling, where a person learns through the observation of other people (models), which leads to initiation if the behaviour is likely to result into desirable consequences.

The bystander effect

We have seen that bystander is where a person voluntarily goes to the aid of another who is in need, and the bystander effect is where the likelihood of bystanders present at the scene - the more bystanders at the scene the less likely people will help.

The reciprocity principle

is often expressed as do unto others as they unto you, because it describes the social expectation of reciprocity between people. We feel grateful if someone does us a favour and often feel the need to do that person a favour in return. if the favour someone does us involves a significant effort, then we are likely to feel more indebted to that person.

Personal characteristics of the helper - empathy

is our emotional response to another person's distress. We find it unpleasant to see another person suffering, so we take action to help and thus alleviate the suffering, There are several different explanations for why empathy causes pro-social behaviour -arousal -similarity -self happiness

The social responsibility norm

is where members of a society are expected to provide help to people who are dependent or in need, without the expectation of favours being returned. Examples of this norm include donating money or time to charity; assisting the frail, impaired, sick and vulnerable members of society; and caring for members of our family. However, people are only expected to help others who are genuinely in need. People who have behaved irresponsibly and are perceived to be responsible for their own problems - for example, gamblers experiencing financial hardship - are less likely to receive help

The situation Antisocial

just a situation influences whether a person will behave in a prosocial way, it is also a factor that can influence anti-social behaviour.

Competence

the way bystanders perceive their competence to deal with emergency will influence whether they will provide help. For example, a study has found that people with first-aid training are more likely to help in emergencies than people who have no such experience.