Prosocial behaviour Flashcards
what is prosocial behaviour
Any action intended to benefit another
why do we help others? (goals)
- Improve our own basic welfare
- Gain social status and approval
- Manage our self image
- Manage our moods and emotions
Improve our own basic welfare
Evolution of helping behaviour
Kin selection
(Actions that ensure that our Genes survive)
- Inclusive fitness (survival of
ones genes is one’s own
offspring and relatives
Helping can also help us gain material benefits
- Reciprocal aid
- Norm of Reciprocity
Gain social status and approval
Helpfulness is a good thing!
People like and approve of those who help
Manage our self image
helps us feel positively about ourself
Labeling effects
- If people are labeled as helpful,
then they should be more likely
to help
Manage our moods and emotions
Helping can be emotionally rewarding
The Arousal/Cost-reward Model
- conditions when helping is
more likely:
+ arousal
+ small cost and large
reward
+familiarity
The negative state relief model
- When we are in a negative
state (feeling bad) we are
more likely to help to get rid
of that sad feeling
Person factors that increase likely hood to help
Need for approval
Arousal
mood/emotion
Sense of “we”
Similarity
Familiarity
Male VS Female
Beliefs and values
situational factors that increase likely hood to help
Relatedness
Labeling
Small costs & lathe rewards
Emergency
Emotional situation
Group norms
Presence of bystanders
ambiguity
4 major factors that influence helping
- “we” connection
- People like to help those who
belong to “us” VS “them” - Similarity and Familiarity
- They are cues of genetic
relatedness - Biological sex
Emergency & strangers → men
Emotional & indirect → women - Personal norms
- the internalised beliefs and
values that form a person’s
inner standards for
behaviour
Bystander Effect & Diffusion of Responsibility
Bystander Effect
DEF: less likely to help with more onlookers present
EX: Kitty Genovese (March 13,1964)
Diffusion of Responsibility
DEF: The pressure to help is divided among everyone who is present
5 steps to helping
- Notice that something is happening
- Interpret the meaning of the event
- Take responsibility for providing help
4.The person must be capable of helping
5.Decide whether to take action
