Batson (1981) (prosocial behavior)

Question 1

key terms

Answer 1

prosocial behavior
empathy
altruism

Question 2

participants

Answer 2

44 women from the Univeristy of Kansas

Question 3

aim

Answer 3

to investigate the empathy-altruism theory (which states that altruism increases when there is more empathy)

Question 4

method

Answer 4

deception of participants to believe that the experiment investigated how people work under unpleasant conditions

they had to watch a video of Elaine receiving electric shocks (a confederate who turned up late)

halfway given a chance to swap with her, they watched a convo between Elaine and a researcher of how she has trauma from horse throwing her to electric fence
> measured altruism by seeing who swaps

empathy measured by having filled a questionnaire on personality before the experiment
- half led to believe she is similar to them (high empathy)
- half led to believe she is different (low empathy)

to control variable that if they swapped and it relieved them of guilt and discomfort
- had an ease-to-escape condition = if didn’t swap, wouldnt need to watch her anymore
- difficult escape = 8 more times

= 4 conditions

Question 5

results

Answer 5

high empathy and ease to escape = 91%
high empathy difficult escape = 82%
low empathy ease to escape = 18%
low empathy difficult escape = 62%

Question 6

conclusion

Answer 6

empirical support for the hypothesis that feelings of empathy will increase the chances of altruistic acting