Helping Prosocial Behavior Any act that benefits others

Helping

Prosocial Behavior Any act that benefits others Positive, constructive, helpful social behavior. Altruism: A motive to increase another's welfare without conscious regard for one's self-interests. ◦ Specifically means an unselfish concern for the welfare of others.

Why Do We Help? Gaining rewards, avoiding punishment Social exchange: human interactions are transactions that aim to maximize one's rewards & minimize one's costs. ◦ Internal rewards Reduction of guilt Negative mood helps neutralize the bad feeling Focus on other vs. self Happy people are helpful people

Why Do We Help? Social Norms: prescribe proper behavior, the oughts of our lives. Reciprocity norm: an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them. Social Responsibility norm: an expectation that people will help those dependent on them and those in need of help and unable to help themselves. In individualistic cultures “deserving help” is more often a factor as well Gender & helping norms Men offer more help when women are in need. Women offer help equally to men & women.

Why Do We Help? Evolutionary psychology: essence of life is gene survival. ◦ Kin protection: nature programs us to care about close relatives. ◦ Reciprocity: an expectation of help in return which may increase the likelihood of survival. ◦ Altruism in groups

Genuine Altruism Willingness to help influenced by: ◦ Self-serving: reduce the distress experienced via another’s situation ◦ Selfless: helping another escape the distressing situation. Empathy: focus shifts from self to the distress of the sufferer. Genuine Altruism: motivation to reduce other’s distress.

Bystander Choices 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Noticing or failing to notice that something unusual is happening. Correctly interpreting an event as an emergency. Deciding that it is your responsibility to provide help. Deciding that you have the necessary knowledge and/or skills to act. Making the final decision to provide help.

When Will We Help? Number of Bystanders ◦ Noticing ◦ Interpreting ◦ Assuming responsibility

When Will We Help? Helping when someone else does Prosocial models promote altruism Time pressures influence attention ◦ No time to tune into the person in need. Similarity to self

Who Will Help? Personality disposition: characteristic behavioral tendencies of individuals ◦ Genetic composition & learning expectancies Who will help? ◦ Empathic individuals: walking in someone else’s shoes (perspective) ◦ Belief in a just world ◦ Social responsibility ◦ Internal locus of control ◦ Low egocentrism

Who Will Help? Religious faith ◦ Religious individuals are only slightly more responsive ◦ Religious faith predicts long-term altruism

How Can We Increase Helping? Undoing the restraints on helping ◦ Reduce ambiguity, increase responsibility ◦ Guilt & concern for self-image Socializing altruism ◦ Teaching moral inclusion ◦ Modeling altruism ◦ Learn by doing ◦ Attributing helpful behavior to altruistic motives ◦ Learning about altruism