Helping Others Flashcards
What explanations are there for helping behaviours?
- Biological
- Prosocial behaviour
- Learning
- Attribution
- Norms
- Empathy
What is prosocial behaviour?
Actions intended to benefit others
What is a biological explanation for helping behaviours?
Helping as an evolutionary trait of protecting one’s kin and genes including sociobiological factors
What is a learning explanation for helping behaviours?
For childhood, instructing children to be helpful while providing a role model and reinforcement.
How does role modelling influence helping behaviours?
Role modelling increases incidence helping behaviour, learning by vicarious experience - TYRE STUDY
What is an attribution explanation for helping behaviours?
Just world hypothesis (people get what they deserve) - can reduce helping behaviour
What are norm explanations for helping behaviours?
- Reciprocity norm - do unto others
2. Social responsibility norm - help people in need
What are Miller’s two types of needs?
- Need extent (better if limited)
2. Need persistence (better if short term)
What is an empathy explanation for helping behaviours?
Understanding or vicariously experiencing another individual’s perspective and feeling sympathy and compassion for them
What is the role of arousal in Empathy?
motivation to help = state of arousal and empathy
What is the role of true altruism in Empathy?
if alturism reduces arousal, is true altruism when people who help won’t be troubled by witnessing the suffering
What is the influence of similar others on empathy?
more likely to feel empathy for similar others
What is altruism vs egoism?
to improve another’s welfare or to improve one’s own welfare
What is the empathy-altruism hypothesis?
empathetic concern for a person in need produces an altruistic motive for helping
What is a situational factor in helping behaviour?
Bystander effect = whereby the presence of others inhibits helping
What is Latane and Darley’s cognitive model?
SMOKE FILLED ROOM STUDY - The five steps to helping in an emergency - similar to Sherif’s role of ambiguity (look to others for guidance
What are the 3 processes underlying the reluctance of groups to help?
- diffusion of responsibility: assumption of others responsibility
- audience inhibition: fear of overreacting
- Social influence: others provide a model
What is the bystanders’ calculus model? (Piliavin et al)
it is the cognitive psychological process determining the costs and benefits of helping vs not helping
What are the 3 steps in the bystanders’ calculus model? (Piliavin et al)
- psychological arousal at others distress
- labelling the arousal as emotion
- evaluation of the consequences of helping
What are person factors in helping others?
- mood: help more if in a good mood
- relationship with victim: help people we know more
- Urban vs rural: people in smaller towns help more
- Sense of mortality (terror management theory): fear of death promotes helping
- Competency: feel more confident = help more
- Responsibility: feel more responsible = help more
- Gender: males help female victims more
What is the role of prior commitment in helping to prevent crime?
more likely to help if a prior commitment to the person
How is the ambiguity of a situation counteracted to help prevent crime?
making it clear you need help and try to reduce diffusion of responsibility by singling out individuals in the crowd via eye contact, pointing or direct requests
