prosocial behaviour

Question 1

what is prosocial behaviour

Answer 1

• acts positively valued by society
• positive social consequences and contributes to the well being of another person

Question 2

what is altruism

Answer 2

• act to benefit other rather than self, performed without expectation of personal gain, can be costly

Question 3

why do people help

Answer 3

• evolutionary learning perspective
• learning to be helpful
• social norms
• empathy-altruism hypothesis

Question 4

what are contemporary neo-darwinian models of evolution

Answer 4

• contemporary neo-darwinian models of evolution
• evolutionary success-survival of one’s genes in subsequent generations
• existence of prosocial tendencies in humans because of;
• genetically based predispositions to act prosocially
• the evolutionary success of people who displayed such predispositions

Question 5

what is kin selection - evolutionary perspective

Answer 5

• evolutionary benefits in terms of inclusive fitness to those who help relatives
• humans more inclined to help relatives than unrelated individuals

Question 6

what did burnstein et al findabout kin selection

Answer 6

• tendency to help people who varied in kinship in two conditions; healthy vs sick, everyday vs life-or-death situations
• more willing to help closer kin than more distant kin
• more likely to help people who were healthy rather than sick in life-or-death situations; more likely to help people who were sick than healthy in everyday situations

Question 7

what is reciprocal altruism - evolutionary perspective

Answer 7

• helping others increases the likelihood that they will help us
• reciprocity - benefits that may add to evolutionary success - increases status and reputation in community

Question 8

what is the reciprocity principle

Answer 8

we should help those who help us

Question 9

what is social responsibility

Answer 9

we should help people who are dependent and in need, without regard to future exchanges

Question 10

what is the altruism hypothesis

Answer 10

Batson et al
- perception that someone needs help - perspective taking; imagine how that person feels - empathic concern - altruistic motive - ultimate goal of increasing other’s welfare

Question 11

what is the bystander effect

Answer 11

people less likely to help in an emergency when they are with others than when alone

Question 12

what is bystander intervention

Answer 12

individual breaks out of role of a bystander and helps another

Question 13

what happened in the kitty genovese murder

Answer 13

• attacked and killed on way home
• no neighbours helped
• 1 anonymous phone call to police 30 minutes later
• 38 people admitted to hearing the screaming

Question 14

what is the cognitive model of bystander intervention - Latane and Darley 1970

Answer 14

notice the incident - interpret the incident - accept personal responsibility for helping - decide what can be done

Question 15

what processes contribute to bystander apathy

Answer 15

• diffusion of responsibility
• audience inhibition
• social influence

Question 16

what are person factors

Answer 16

• competence
• mood states - good mood - more likely to help
• guilt - more likely to help