Chapter 9 Prosocial Behavior
What are the goals of prosocial behavior?
-Prosocial behavior is action intended to benefit another -There are 2 more limited types of prosocial behavior: the first is action intended to benefit another but not for external reward, and the second, called our altruism, is action intended solely to benefit another, thus not for internal or external reward
Does pure altruism exist?
1. According to the empathy-altrusim model, people who experience empathic concern for a needy other are willing to help simply to improve his or her welfare (pure altruism). Furthermore, perspective taking, which produces empathic concern, can be brought about by perceived attachments to another (similarity, kinship, friendship, familiarity) 2. In support of this model, those who take another's perspective do feel empathic concern and do appear- at least on the surface- to want to help for reasons having to do with the other's welfare rather than their own 3. A non altruistic explanation exists, however, for why perspective taking leads to seemingly selfless aid: the factors that lead naturally to perspective taking (similarity, kinship, friendship, familiarity) are traditional cues of shared genetic makeup. Thus, perspective taking may spur feelings of shared heredity and the resultant helping many serve the goal of promoting one's own (genetic) welfare
What is the managing our emotions and moods component of prosocial behavior?
1. Because helping is experienced as rewarding, it can be used to relieve an unpleasant state in the helper 2. In emergencies, this unpleasant state is aversive arousal (distress), which, according to the arousal/cost-reward model, leads to assistance principally when 1. the arousal is strong 2. there is a "we" connection between the victim and helper, and 3. reducing the arousal involves small costs and large rewards 3. In nonemergency situations, helping can relieve the unpleasant state of sadness. According to the negative state relief model, temporarily saddened individuals help more when they 1. see the personal benefits of aid outweighing the costs and 2. view the help as able to influence their moods 4. Elated individuals help in a wide range of situations, probably because they have an overly positive view of helping opportunities
What is the gaining social status and approval component of prosocial behavior?
1. Because helping is typically valued in a culture, people may help to gain prestige and social approval 2. The most general helping norm is the norm of social responsibility, which states that we should help those who are dependent on us for assistance 3. Bystanders observing possible emergencies influence the decision to help in there ways: by serving as sources of potential aid, by serving as sources of information about whether aid is required, and by serving as sources of approval or disapproval for helping 4. Individuals having a strong desire for approval are more likely to help under public circumstances 5. Factors that draw attention to the social responsibility norm lead to more helping 6. Men help more when the situation requires heroic, direct assistance of the needy, including strangers. Consistent with the socially approved feminine gender role, women help more when the situation calls for nurturant, supportive help for relationship partners.
What is the managing self image component of prosocial behavior?
1. Because prosocial behavior can affect how people view themselves, they can use it to both enhance and verify their self-definitions 2. Persons possessing strong religious codes and personal norms toward helping appear to help in order to act in accord with their self-images 3. The labels other apply to us affect our self-images. Therefore, when we are labeled as generous or kind, we become more helpful 4. Most people value helping and become more prosocial when they are made to focus inside on this value 5. Giving aid affects self-concept and so does accepting aid
What are the 4 goals of prosocial behavior?
1. Gaining genetic and material benefits 2. Gaining social status and approval 3. Managing self-image 4. Managing our emotions and moods
What is the improving our basic welfare: gaining genetic and material benefits component of prosocial behavior?
1. People sometimes help to improve their own inclusive fitness (the survival of genes in offspring and relatives). This can be achieved by such means as aiding relatives or giving to non relatives who are likely to help in return (reciprocal aid) 2. Both genetic and environmental factors are important causes of behavior 3. People will be more likely to help another when early childhood experiences, similarity, and familiar lead them to see the other in terms of family (the genetic "we")
