Chapter 9: Prosocial Behavior - Helping Others

Prosocial behavior

Actions by individuals that help others with no immediate benefit to the helper.

Pluralistic ignorance

Because no bystanders are helping, no one knows for sure what is happening and each individual relys on the others to interpret the situation.

3 components of empathy

Emotional empathy, empatheitc accuracy, and empathetic concern.

Defensive helping

Help given to members of outgroups to reduce the threat they pose to the status or distinctiveness of one's own group.

Empathetic joy hypothesis

Helpers respond to the needs of a victim because they want to accomplish something, and doing so is rewarding in and of itself.

5 steps to helping

Notice the event is happening, correctly interpret the event as an emergency, decide if it is your responsibility to help, decide whether you have the knowledge or skills to help, and make the final decision.

Negative-state relief model

Prosocial behavior is motivated by the bystander's desire to reduce his or her own uncomfortable negative emotions or feelings.

People tend to help others that they like

Similarity, attractiveness, and gender (men help women) are all factors that affect whether we help or not.

Empathy-altruism hypothesis

Suggestion that some prosocial acts are motivated solely by the desire to help someone in need.

Empathy

The capacity to be able to experience others' emotional states, feel sympathetic toward them, and take their perspective.

Diffusion of responsibility

The greater number of witnesses present, the less likely victims are to recieve help.

Kin selection theory

Theory that all organisms have the key goal of getting their genes into the next generation.