Altruism and Prosocial Behavior Who has does service
Altruism and Pro-social Behavior Who (has) does “service”? Who has asked a friend for a “favor”? • Like RELATIONSHIPS, we all have some experience
Thinking about your own experiences: â When have you received help? â From whom do you receive help? â How do you/did you feel about these events? 4 When have you given help? 4 To whom have you offered help? 4 How do you/did you feel about these events?
What are these? Define PRO-SOCIAL BEHAVIOR: – Action intended to benefit another – Positive, Constructive, Helpful behavior. The opposite of antisocial behavior. – Behaviors that are carried out with the goal of helping other people Define ALTRUISM: – Action intended solely to benefit another and thus not to gain external or internal reward – Unselfish regard for the welfare of others – Pro-social behaviors a person carries out without considering his or her own safety or interests.
Theoretical perspectives on helping behavior: Learning Perspective Evolutionary Perspective Prosocial behavior: any act intended to help others regardless of the helpers motives Altruism: acts intended to help others with no expectation of personal gain Socio-Cultural Perspective Social-Cognitive Perspective
Learning Perspective: Learning Perspective Two general principles: • reinforcement: – rewards and punishments • observational learning Prosocial behavior: Altruism
Learning Perspective Research: Learning Perspective Prosocial behavior: Altruism
Learning Perspective Research: Learning Perspective Prosocial behavior: Altruism
Evolutionary Perspective: Evolutionary Perspective Prosocial behavior: Altruism • animal examples • tendency to help others: – survival value • mutual/reciprocal altruism • self preservation versus altruism: – predisposed to both
Socio-Cultural Perspective: Socio-cultural Perspective Prosocial behavior: Altruism Social Norms: • norm of social responsibility: – help those who depend on us • norm of reciprocity: – help those who help us • norm of social justice: – rules about fairness and the just distribution of resources – equity principle: • inequity = pressure to redistribute
Socio-Cultural Research: Socio-cultural Perspective Prosocial behavior: Altruism Reciprocity Norm Study:
Social-Cognitive Perspective: Social-cognitive Perspective Cognitive/Decision-Making Steps: Need Perception Personal Responsibility Prosocial behavior: Costs/Benefits Assessment Altruism What Help and How
Need Perception: Social-cognitive Perspective Need Perception • interpretation is vital: Prosocial behavior: Altruism – ambiguous versus unambiguous cues • cues for interpretation as emergency: – sudden/unexpected – clear threat of harm to victim – harm increases without intervention – victim is helpless – effective intervention is possible
Need Perception Research: Social-cognitive Perspective Prosocial behavior: Altruism Need Perception Study:
Personal responsibility: Social-cognitive Perspective Prosocial behavior: Altruism Personal Responsibility
Need Perception: Social-cognitive Perspective Costs/Benefits Assessment • consider the potential gains/losses Help Prosocial behavior: Altruism Perceived Profits: rewards - costs Not Help Perceived Profits: rewards - costs We help when the perceived profits of helping are greater than those of not helping
Theoretical perspectives on helping behavior: Social-cognitive Perspective Cognitive/Decision-Making Steps: Need Perception Personal Responsibility Prosocial behavior: Costs/Benefits Assessment Altruism What Help and How
General Determinants of Behavior: Emotions Learning Genetics Behavior Motives Prosocial behavior Roles Altruis m Norms Cognitions Self Concept
Why do people help each other? • Compassion vs. Compliance • Compassion – help because the person is in real need – socially valued trait – helper feels good and will want to help again • Compliance – credit for good deed given to requestor – helper may feel regret or reactance toward manipulation and less likely to help again
Why do people help each other? • Batson, Harris, Mc. Caul, Davis & Schmidt (1979) • Females in this study that were forced into a compliance situation were~ – in less of a good mood – less likely to help in response to a second request – less likely to show altruistic behavior • Therefore, if you are forced into a situation you are less likely to feel rewarded and also less likely to help again.
Why do people help each other? • Empathic Concern – Egoism vs. Altruism • Egoism~ – helping yourself – motivation to reduce personal stress • Altruism~ – helping others in order to reduce their stress
What about the religious? • From Jerusalem to Jericho (Darley & Batson) • “The Good Samaritan”: a psychological view – the Levite and priest are religious, yet the religious outcast (ie. Samaritan) actually helps
What is going on in this parable? • Three Reasons: – 1. Differences in thought • priest and Levite are concerned with religious matters, the Samaritan more with mundane issues – 2. Differences in hurriedness • priest and Levite are important in society, therefore more likely to be in a hurry – 3. Differences in religiosity • priest and Levite are more concerned with lofty ideals of religion as opposed to the spontaneity of the Samaritan
Three Hypotheses Derived~ • A person consumed by religious thoughts will be more likely to help an individual than a person thinking about something else • A person encountering a possible helping situation when they are in a hurry will be less likely to offer help than someone who is not in a hurry • People who are religious in a Samaritan-like way are more likely to help than those religious in a priest of Levite way
Results • Subject matter did not affect the people (norm salience) • Subjects in a hurry were less likely to help • No data to support that types of religiosity will predict helping
So, what would the Pope do? • Most likely, it doesn’t appear that the Pope would stop on the street to help you out • There are too many costs and dangers involved • He is also an extremely busy man and very theologically based, not very down to earth • Plus, he wouldn’t want to be forced into it
Theoretical Explanations for Prosocial Behavior: Explanation: Motivation: Reason for helping: Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis Observe Emergency Empathy is aroused Victim needs help Feels good to help Negative- State Relief Model Observe Emergency Negative Affect is aroused To reduce own negative affect Empathic Joy Hypothesis Observe Emergency Leads to desire to act, and positively affect the victim To engage in an activity with a positive outcome and feel good Genetic Determinism Model Observe Emergency Unconscious desire to help if victim genetically similar To maximize survival of similar genes
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