unit 10 Flashcards
(20 cards)
prosocial behaviors
actions intended to benefit others. eg. giving your friend a ride
empathy
Understanding or vicariously experiencing another individual’s perspective and feeling sympathy and compassion for that individual.
How does evolutionary theory explain helping behaviours among genetically related relatives and non-kin
ideas of evolutionary theory like kin selection, reciprocal altruism and selfish gene all have a common goal and that is survival. Underlying motivation for personal survival.
What are the two key components of empathy
1) cognitive - perspective
2) emotional- empathic concern
negative state relief model
the proposition that people help others to counteract their own feelings of sadness.
the rewards of helping others according to the negative state relief model
- feels good to help (physical and mental reward)
- increases happiness
- purpose/meaning
- social recognition. connection, gain
- fullfillment
the costs of helping others according to the negative state relief model
- self sacrifice life/time/money
- emotional or physical strain
- social or legal risks
egoistic motive
the need or desire to improve ones own welfare
the altruistic motive
the drive to improve another’s welfare
empathy-altruism hypothesis
the proposition that empathic concern for a person in need produces an altruistic motive for helping.
- see them struggle = imagine how they feel
- focus is on the other person
- empathetic concern
bystander effect
the presence of others reduces the chance that a person will receive help.
the steps that bystanders in an emergency go through
1) notice situation
2) identify emergency
3) take responsibility for helping
4) decide how to help
5) provide the help
For the victim to receive help, identify the obstacles that bystanders in a group must overcome in each step of the process.
- distraction of self concerns
- social influence, relation to victim, is it a real emergency
- diffusion of responsibility
- lack of competence
- judgment of audience
- cost- benefit analysis
How may a person’s mood affect the likelihood that the person will help others
feeling good leads to:
- a desire to maintain mood
- positive thoughts of self and others
- encourages social behavior
bad moods could help also when people want to cheer themselves up they help others.
How may personality, role models, and social influence affect the likelihood that a person will help others?
prosocial traits increase intrinsic motivation to help.
characteristics of people who are most likely to receive help when they need help
- in group memebers
- those similar to self
- social pressure on
- if the person is known
- 3 people or witnesses are present instead of one or two
pluralistic ignorance
people in a group mistakenly think that their own individual thoughts, feelings or behaviors are different from those of the rest of the group members
gender differences in helping
Men- more likely to be heroic, more physical, more public, risk takers, social recognition
Women- emotional help, interpersonal, empathy and relation
diffusion of responsibility
belief that others will or should take the responsibility for providing assistance to a person in need.
audience in hibition
reluctance to help for fear of making a bad impression on observers.
