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Chapter 10: Prosocial Behavior: Helping Others

Chapter 10: Prosocial Behavior: Helping Others. Prosocial Behavior. Prosocial Behavior- actions that benefit others Why do we help others? How do we decide to help others? What factors influence our helping behavior? How do we react to receiving help? How can we increase helping behavior?.

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Chapter 10: Prosocial Behavior: Helping Others

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  1. Chapter 10: Prosocial Behavior: Helping Others

  2. Prosocial Behavior Prosocial Behavior- actions that benefit others • Why do we help others? • How do we decide to help others? • What factors influence our helping behavior? • How do we react to receiving help? • How can we increase helping behavior? Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon 10.4

  3. Social Exchange Theory Cost-benefit analysis conducted Person provides help if benefits outweigh the costs Person observes emergency

  4. Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis Empathy is aroused Person provides help simply because victim needs help and because it feels good to provide help Person observes emergency

  5. Social Norms Hypothesis Helping is prescribed by social norms reciprocity or social responsibility Person provides help because victim needs help and bystanders are expected to help those in need Person observes emergency

  6. Negative-State Relief Model Negative affect is aroused by the emergency situation, or person is experiencing negative affect based on something else Person provides help in order to reduce own negative affect and make the helper feel better Person observes emergency

  7. Empathetic Joy Hypothesis Situation leads to desire to act and to have a positive effect on the victim Person provides help in order to engage in an activity that has successful outcome, making the helper feel good Person observes emergency

  8. Genetic Determinism Model Unconscious desire to help occurs if the person perceives the victim to be genetically similar to himself or herself Person provides help in order to maximize the chances of survival of genes that are like those of the observer Person observes emergency

  9. Essential Steps To Help in Emergency Try to help Yes Have needed skill Yes Assume responsibility? No Yes No No help Interpret as emergency? No help Yes No Notice the situation? No help No No help

  10. Noticing and Interpreting Situations Seminary Students The Smoke Filled Room

  11. Assuming Responsibility • Latané & Darley’s “seizure study” • discuss student life over intercom • no one else would be listening in • 3 conditions • talking to 1 other person • talking to 2 other people • talking to 5 other people • one “subject” had seizure • pleaded for help • what % helped in each situation?

  12. The Bystander Effect • Bystander effect- helping decreases as number of bystanders increases • Noticing and Interpreting • ambiguity • pluralistic ignorance • Assuming Responsibility • diffusion of responsibility • high costs to intervene • Having necessary skills • fear of looking foolish Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon 10.7

  13. Factors Affecting Helping • Helping increases if victim is: • attractive • similar to bystander • not perceived as responsible for their plight • Note: blaming the victim restores one’s sense of perceived control over events • Helping increases in situations where: • there are few other bystanders • we are in a small town or rural area Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon 10.9

  14. Factors Affecting Helping Cont’d • Helping increases if we are: • not in a hurry • feeling guilty about something • in a good mood • an altruistic person Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon 10.9

  15. Big Cities Versus Small Towns In general, as population density increases, helping decreases Why? Because in general, people in a city: • experience stimulus overload- best to screen out nonessential stimuli • experience a fast paced lifestyle, thus making one less likely to notice emergency • are more likely to concentrate on oneself • are rarely alone- greater chance to diffuse responsibility Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon 10.8

  16. Effects of Mood on Helping In general, the results are mixed • Mood increases helping when: • good mood stimulates positive thoughts and actions • helping can improve bad mood (feel-bad, do-good) • Mood decreases helping when: • helping might spoil your good mood (unpleasant consequences such as embarrassment or danger) • bad mood leads you to focus on yourself Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon 10.10

  17. Belief in a just world Empathy Social responsibility Low Egocentrism Internal Locus of Control Altruistic Personality

  18. Gender Differences in Helping • Men help more than women when: • act is dangerous (heroic) requiring certain skills such as changing flat or overpowering attacker • person in need of help is a woman (possible sexual motive) • Women help more than men when: • giving to charity • caring for friends, family, and others Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon 10.13

  19. Reactions to Receiving Help • High helper-victim similarity (friend, peer) • negative affect (feel incompetent, resent helper) • lowered self-esteem • motivated to self-help in the future Note: reactions typically occur in high-threat situations • Low helper-victim similarity (non-friend) • positive affect (feel good, appreciative) • positive self-image • less motivated to self-help in the future Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon 10.14

  20. Ways to Increase Helping When dealing with potential emergencies: • become aware of factors which inhibit helping (diffusion of responsibility, ambiguity, etc.) • if you see something unusual, consider various possibilities (seek additional evidence) • be willing to be wrong or look foolish • assume responsibility • gain confidence/competence (e.g., CPR) • seek exposure to prosocial models Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon 10.16

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