Chapter 11: Prosocial Behavior- Why do people help?

11.2 What are some personal qualities that influence whether a given individual will help?

An altruistic personality, Western male heroic ideal, female nurturing long-term ideal. Favoritism of in or out groups, simpatia,

Review: What is the overjustification effect?

People see their behavior as caused by compelling extrinsic reasons (ex. being required to do volunteer work) making them underestimate the extent to which their behavior was caused by intrinsic reasons (ex that they like to do volunteer work). This leads us to do less in the future.

11.4 What can be done to promote prosocial behavior?

Learning about bystander intervention, getting CPR certified, thinking about our values and ability to choose to do the right thing under pressure (pen study), Encouraging ppl to volunteer while preserving the sense that they freely choose to do so is likely to increase people's intentions to volunteer again in the future. Positive psychology,

How does religion correspond with helping?

Religious people can be more empathetic, but this may be due to the social bonds that come with subscription to a religion

What is pluralistic ignorance?

The case (often. in emergency situations of high ambiguity) when people think that everyone else is interpreting a situation in a certain way, when in fact they are not. (like the monoxipuff gas)

What is altruism?

The desire to help another person even is it involves a cost to the helper. It is supported by evidence that people help suffering kin.

What is the norm of reciprocity?

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

What is the bystander effect?

The finding that the greater the number of bystanders in an emergency, the less likely that any one of them is to help. The latane and Darley booth seizure experiment and the Good samaritan hurrying IV study found evidence for this. If the event is seen as an emergency ppl are more likely to help.

What is the Urban Overload Hypothesis?

The theory that people living in cities are constantly bombarded with stimulation and that they keep to themselves to avoid being overwhelmed by it. It's more imp to know whether a person is in a rural or urban area than it is to know where they grew up.

11.3: In what situations are people more likely, or less likely to help others?

Urban Overload Hypothesis, residential mobility (whether you're at home), bystander effect situations, diffusion of responsibility situations,

What is an altruistic personality?

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

What are the "5 steps to helping in an emergency" everyone goes through?

1, Notice the event 2. Interpret the event as an emergency 3. Assume responsibility 4. Know appropriate forms of assistance 5. Implement decision During each of these, a different reason can be given for not helping.

11.1: What are the basic motives that determine whether people help others?

1. Evolutionary Psychology: Helping is an instinctive reaction to promote the welfare of those genetically similar to us. 2. The rewards of helping often outweigh the costs, so helping is in our self-interest (Social exchange theory). 3. Under some conditions, powerful feelings of empathy and compassion for the victim prompt selfless giving (The empathy-altruism hypothesis)

What is social exchange theory?

Much of what we do stems from the desire to maximize our rewards and minimize our costs. It says that altruism doesn't exist, since we anticipate personal benefits as a result of our actions, however indirect, based on our past experience of reward for helping.

What is empathy?

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

What is evolutionary psychology?

the attempt to explain social behavior in terms of genetic factors that have evolved over time according to the principles of natural selection.

What is Prosocial Behavior?

Any act performed with the goal of benefiting another person.

What is an "Out Group"?

Any group with which an individual does not identify. We help these people more often when there's something salient in it for us. (Less empathy for these members).

How can videogames and music affect helping?

Helpful video games or music can prime us to help or feel a certain way.

What is residential mobility and how can it affect helping?

If you're in your community you're more likely to help since you've got more stake in the area.

How does mood affect prosocial behavior?

In the Dime primer study of the effect of mood boost on helping the guy who dropped his papers, people who found the dime were way more likely to help. The same is true for many opportunities to help (Like volunteer work) when we've been primed in many other ways. because when in a good mood, 1. we see the good side of other ppl, 2. helping is a good way to prolong our good mood, and 3. we pay ourselves more attention if we help, thereby encouraging us to act according to our values. Therefore, if I want to get ppl to do something, catch them when they're in a good mood. Sadness and guilt can also improve helping.

What is an in-group?

The group with which an individual identifies as a member. We're more likely to feel empathy toward them and help these members even if they offer little in return.

What is Kin Selection?

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

What is the empathy-altruism hypothesis?

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. Championed by Batson. Empathy is like the prerequisite for altruism to occur.

What is diffusion of responsibility?

The phenomenon wherein each bystander's sense of responsibility to help decreases as the number of witnesses increases. We can reduce this by calling people by name.

What is gratitude?

The positive feelings that are caused by the perception that one has been helped by others- evolved in order to regulate reciprocity.