Chapter 11 Prosocial Behavior

The desire to help another person even if it involves a cost to the helper

Altruism

The qualities that cause an individual to help others in a wide variety of situations.

Altruistic Personality

The finding that the greater the number of bystanders who witness an emergency, the less likely any one of them is to help.

Bystander Effect

The phenomenon wherein each bystander's sense of responsibility to help decreases as the number of witnesses increases.

Diffusion of Responsibility

The ability to put oneself in the shoes of another person and to experience events and emotions (e.g., joy and sadness) the way that person experiences them.

Empathy

The idea that when we feel empathy for a person, we will attempt to help that person for purely altruistic reasons, regardless of what we have to gain.

Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis

The group with which an individual identifies as a member.

In-Group

The idea that behaviors that help a genetic relative are favored by natural selection.

Kin Selection

The expectation that helping others will increase the likelihood that they will help us in the future.

Norm of Reciprocity

Any group with which an individual does not identify.

Out-Group

The case in which people think that everyone else is interpreting a situation in a certain way, when in fact they are not.

Pluralistic Ignorance

Any act performed with the goal of benefiting another person.

Prosocial Behavior

The theory that people living in cities are constantly bombarded with stimulation and that they keep to themselves to avoid being overwhelmed by it.

Urban Overload Hypothesis

Sarah is excellent at the backstroke, and she is preparing for an important swimming competition. She has just been asked to help somebody improve on the backstroke. Based on the tenets of self-esteem maintenance theory, she will be most likely to help Select one: a. Katherine, a new team member. b. Amanda, her twin. c. Annie, who beat her last year in this same competition. d. Sally, her best friend.

a. Katherine, a new team member.

________ refers to any act that someone performs in order to benefit another person. Select one: a. Prosocial behavior b. Kin selection c. Altruism d. Empathy

a. Prosocial behavior

Jim dives into the water to help his drowning sister; Ivan dives into the water to help a total stranger because he wanted to impress his new girlfriend and is a trained lifeguard. Jim's motive to help is best explained by ________, while Ivan's motive to help is best explained by ________. Select one: a. evolutionary theory; social exchange theory b. evolutionary theory; kin selection c. kin selection; empathy-altruism hypothesis d. social exchange theory; empathy-altruism hypothesis

a. evolutionary theory; social exchange theory

Even if it is clear that a person needs help, that you are the person responsible to help, and that you know how to help, you might still decide not to help. Reasons that people do not help in such cases include all of the following except Select one: a. the situation isn't an emergency, and the Latané and Darley model isn't applicable. b. people fear that they might make things worse if they try to help. c. people fear that they might make fools of themselves if they help. d. the cost of administering help might be too high.

a. the situation isn't an emergency, and the Latané and Darley model isn't applicable.

When viewing a commercial for a local charity, who would be the most likely to later contribute to the charity? Select one: a. Harry, who just moved to the community b. Sarah, who has lived in the community for her entire life c. Joe, who is a wealthy traveler passing through d. Laura, who has lived in the community for two years

b. Sarah, who has lived in the community for her entire life

If you are in an emergency situation and need help, which of the following statements to a bystander is most likely to get you the help you need? Select one: a. "Hey! I'm in trouble here!" b. "Help!!! This is an emergency!!" c. "You in the red sweater-call 911!" d. "Will someone please help me?"

c. "You in the red sweater-call 911!"

The "feel good, do good" effect in studies of prosocial behavior refers to the idea that Select one: a. in adults, helping is self-reinforcing. b. helping in emergencies relieves distress. c. people in a good mood are more likely to help. d. helping puts people in a good mood.

c. people in a good mood are more likely to help.

Helping in exchange relationships is based on ________, whereas helping in communal relationships is based on ________. Select one: a. friendship; kinship b. negative states; positive states c. reciprocity; need d. empathy; equity

c. reciprocity; need

Every morning at the bus stop, Carlos encounters an old woman begging for change. She is clearly hungry and alone. Because Carlos feels very bad for this woman and can "feel her pain," he makes a point of giving her some change each morning that he sees her. Which theoretical approach best explains Carlos's behavior? Select one: a. kin selection b. the norm of reciprocity c. the empathy-altruism hypothesis d. social-exchange theory

c. the empathy-altruism hypothesis

The basic tenet of ________ is that when we feel empathy for another person's plight, we will help that person regardless of what we may stand to gain. Select one: a. the reciprocity norm b. evolutionary psychology c. the empathy-altruism hypothesis d. kin selection

c. the empathy-altruism hypothesis

Pluralistic ignorance is most likely to discourage intervention in an emergency when Select one: a. experts show the appropriate form of assistance. b. victims are dissimilar to the witnesses. c. the situation is ambiguous. d. an emergency occurs in an urban setting.

c. the situation is ambiguous.

Which of the following is not one of the three reasons why being in a good mood would make someone more likely to help another person? Select one: a. Good moods increase self-attention. b. Helping others can prolong a good mood. c. Good moods help us look on the bright side of life. d. Being in a good mood increases empathy.

d. Being in a good mood increases empathy.

A giant tornado is bearing down on Dorothy's farmhouse. She only has time to help one other resident. Based on research regarding kin selection, whom will Dorothy take with her to the storm cellar? Select one: a. her favorite farm hand, Ray b. her grandmother, Margaret c. her beloved dog, Toto d. her sister, Glenda

d. her sister, Glenda

In the grocery store one evening, Yolanda is in a good mood after earning a promotion at work, but Trudy is feeling quite guilty for stealing office supplies from work. When another shopper collapses on the ground unconscious, Yolanda would be likely to help according to the ________, while Trudy would be likely to help according to the ________. Select one: a. feel good, do good effect; feel bad, do good effect b. kinship effect; feel bad, do good effect c. kinship effect; evolutionary explanation d. feel good, do good effect; evolutionary explanation

a. feel good, do good effect; feel bad, do good effect

In explaining the process by which kin selection works to encourage altruism, evolutionary psychologists would argue that Select one: a. over millennia, genes of those who follow the "biological importance" rule will survive. b. helpers consciously consider "biological importance" before helping. c. the "biological importance" rule is used only in life-and-death situations. d. norms have arisen to replace ingrained human behavior.

a. over millennia, genes of those who follow the "biological importance" rule will survive.

Joseph was on the subway when he noticed a man lying slumped over on the seat. Joseph looked around at the other passengers, who seemed calm and unconcerned. Joseph concluded that the man was probably okay. However, the other passengers may have been looking around at Joseph, to see how he reacted. This would be an example of Select one: a. pluralistic ignorance. b. social reciprocity. c. conformity. d. false uniqueness.

a. pluralistic ignorance.

One consequence of living by the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," is that if you help those in need, they might return the favor someday. This idea is best represented by Select one: a. the norm of reciprocity. b. informational social influence. c. normative social influence. d. the norm of obedience.

a. the norm of reciprocity.

If the urban overload hypothesis (Milgram, 1970) is true, ________ to help a fallen pedestrian on the streets of New York City because ________. Select one: a. Alicia would be likely; urban areas are stressful and put people in bad moods b. Roberto would not be likely; he was socialized with urban values c. Ellen would not be likely; she tries to keep to herself amid all the stimulation d. Harold would be likely; he was born and reared in a small town

c. Ellen would not be likely; she tries to keep to herself amid all the stimulation

When other bystanders are present, people are less likely to interpret an event as an emergency. ________ best explains why this is so. Select one: a. The overload hypothesis b. The norm of obedience c. Informational social influence d. Normative social influence

c. Informational social influence

Social exchange theory would have the most trouble explaining which of the following helping situations? Select one: a. Anna visits people with AIDS as a requirement of her health psychology course. b. On the way home from work, David drops off some notes for a classmate. c. Theo calmly walks into heavy traffic to rescue a stranger who collapsed in the crosswalk. d. A wealthy businesswoman makes a hefty donation to her congressman.

c. Theo calmly walks into heavy traffic to rescue a stranger who collapsed in the crosswalk.

Juanita sees a crowd of people gathered around a man lying on the ground. She thinks about whether to call an ambulance, but then reasons that somebody else has probably already done so. This is an example of Select one: a. the urban overload hypothesis. b. the empathy-altruism hypothesis. c. diffusion of responsibility. d. social exchange theory.

c. diffusion of responsibility.

A(n) ________ is a group with which individuals identify and of which they feel they are members. Select one: a. out-group b. peer group c. in-group d. reference grou

c. in-group

A woman has just been in a car accident and needs someone to get her out of her car. A man has AIDS and needs someone to take him to the hospital for ongoing treatments. According to the research on gender differences in prosocial behavior, which of the following is most likely to be true? Select one: a. John is more likely to help both the man and the woman. b. John and Karen are equally likely to help both the woman and the man. c. John is more likely to help the man; Karen is more likely to help the woman. d. John is more likely to help the woman; Karen is more likely to help the man.

d. John is more likely to help the woman; Karen is more likely to help the man.

Which of the following is the best example of altruistic behavior? Select one: a. Lou helps his wife with the dishes in the hopes that she'll cook dinner more often. b. Lexy volunteers at her son's school to help out his class. c. Julie puts a dollar in the church collection basket because everyone else donates. d. Robert anonymously donates a kidney to a twenty-year-old accident victim he will never meet.

d. Robert anonymously donates a kidney to a twenty-year-old accident victim he will never meet.

According to the bystander effect (Latané & Darley, 1970), if you just witnessed a mugging, you will be most likely to call for help if you Select one: a. are in a good mood prior to the mugging. b. are one of seven witnesses. c. perceive yourself as similar to the victim. d. are the sole witness.

d. are the sole witness.

You know that Susan is a very helpful person. She spends many hours each week volunteering at a local homeless shelter, she donates a lot of money to charities, and she is always the first person to volunteer to organize something when your group of friends wants to get together. According to the research on the altruistic personality, you ________ that Susan would help carry a neighbor's groceries if the situation arose because ________. Select one: a. can be very sure; anyone would help in this situation b. can be very sure; individual differences in personality are the most reliable predictors of prosocial behavior c. cannot be sure; very few people help others in today's society d. cannot be sure; personality is not necessarily the most reliable predictor of prosocial behavior

d. cannot be sure; personality is not necessarily the most reliable predictor of prosocial behavior

According to Latané and Darley (1970), a number of things must occur before witnesses decide to intervene in an emergency situation. According to this stage model, diffusion of responsibility is most likely to affect witnesses' Select one: a. attention to their surroundings. b. assessments of the costs and benefits of intervening. c. interpretation of an event as an emergency. d. sense of obligation to intervene.

d. sense of obligation to intervene.

Although George wants to help a stranded motorist he passed on the freeway, he passes by because he knows it would take too much time out of his busy schedule. What theory offers the best explanation as to why George did not help? Select one: a. negative-state relief b. evolutionary c. empathy-altruism d. social exchange

d. social exchange

Pluralistic ignorance is most likely to discourage intervention in an emergency when Select one: a. an emergency occurs in an urban setting. b. victims are dissimilar to the witnesses. c. experts show the appropriate form of assistance. d. the situation is ambiguous.

d. the situation is ambiguous.

In order to best predict whether people will help another person, it is best to know something about ________ and ________. Select one: a. their relationship with the other person; their personality b. their parents' disciplinary practices; their personality c. the costs and rewards of helping; the particulars of the situation in question d. their personality; the particular situation in question

d. their personality; the particular situation in question