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Helping and Happiness

Helping and Happiness. Prosocial behavior. Any act performed with the goal of benefiting another person. Is it prosocial behavior? . John, a college student, spends two hours per week as a "Big Brother” to a nine-year-old boy whose parents are divorced.

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Helping and Happiness

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  1. Helping and Happiness

  2. Prosocial behavior Any act performed with the goal of benefiting another person
  3. Is it prosocial behavior? John, a college student, spends two hours per week as a "Big Brother” to a nine-year-old boy whose parents are divorced. Arnold, a firefighter, rescues an elderly woman trapped in a fire. Sandra agrees to donate her organs for transplant in the event of her death. Marie makes a $50 contribution to charity and thus gets a chance to attend a banquet with a celebrity. Bob attempts to save his six-year-old son from drowning.
  4. What is altruism? When we help others even when there are costs to ourselves Can animals show prosocial behavior or altruism?
  5. Why do people help? Fill out questionnaire If you didn’t help on some, why? What are reasons why people sometimes don’t help?
  6. Examples of heroes and not http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43880728/ns/world_news-europe/ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43880728/ns/world_news-europe/ http://www.smh.com.au/world/it-was-too-dark-passersby-deny-seeing-hitandrun-toddler-yueyue-at-their-feet-20111019-1m6rv.html
  7. Why do we help others? Evolution Kin selection Norm of reciproctiy Group selection Social exchange theory We help when rewards are greater than costs No true altruism
  8. Batson’s empathy-altruism hypothesis When we don’t feel empathy, it’s rewards – costs When we do, we will help regardless (showing true altruism)
  9. Things that don’t predict helping that well Personality Religion—seminary students and the Good Samaritan. Percent helping:
  10. Time makes a difference 2 shipwrecks in 1912-1915—Lusitania and Titanic Luistania sunk in 18 minutes Titanic in 3 hours Children 5% less likely to survive on Lusitania; Children 15% more likely to survive than adults on Titanic. Women 1% less likely to survive than men on Lusitania; Women 53% more likely to survive than men on Titanic.
  11. Cultural differences in helping See Table 2: http://www2.psych.ubc.ca/~ara/Manuscripts/Levine%20et%20al%20helping.pdf Cultural differences in 3 situations More per capita purchasing power, less helping Hispanic countries tended to be higher NO relationship to individualism/collectivism
  12. Other effects of where we live Across cultures, people are more helpful in small towns Urban-overload hypothesis Residential mobility (Oishi) People who have lived in a community longer are more likely to help
  13. Mood effects on helping Good mood Bad mood
  14. Bystander intervention The power of number Kitty Genovese
  15. What happens when a woman falls and screams? Latané & Rodin results intervening % pairs intervening Alone 70 91 w/Confederate 7 14 Two strangers 23 40 Two friends 45 70
  16. What are the steps to helping? Notice the event Interpret it as an emergency Assume responsibilty Know how to help Actually do it
  17. At least 3 reasons why people are less likely to help when others are around Diffusion of responsibility—others could help Social influence—others don’t seem to think we need to help Audience inhibition—we don’t want to look stupid to others
  18. Electrocuted experimenter Condition Process Help rate (In %) Alone None95% No contact DR84% Seen by other DR & AI 73% See other person DR & SI 73% See and be seen DR,AI,SI50%
  19. Video examples http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjP22DpYYh8&feature=plcp&context=C3476ef2UDOEgsToPDskISJjYGpPomMBNuGB34GTlt
  20. Video game effects Playing prosocial video games (e.g., Lemmings) leads to more helping Greitemeyer & Osswald, 2010
  21. How can we increase helping? Provide good models for children http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JfHB2cruJU Help them see themselves as helpful people Tell people about situational effects on helping If you need help, point at someone and tell them what you need
  22. Happiness What is happiness? Frequent positive emotions Less negative emotions Life satisfaction
  23. Happiness is 50% genetic 10% circumstances 40% intentional activities
  24. What circumstances make us more or less happy? Age Gender Income Health Religiosity Marriage Friends Work satisfaction
  25. How can we increase our intentional happiness? Do activities that fit your values and interests (not watching tv) Make a habit out of the activities, but vary the focus or timing of htem Spend money on experiences, not things Spend money on others instead of yourself Count your blessings Work toward important goals Think about the positive Be nice to others (“random acts of kindness”)
  26. Helpful websites http://themythsofhappiness.org/discover-happiness/ http://www.positivepsychology.org
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