Altruism: Helping Others Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Social Psychology by David G. Myers 8 th Edition Altruism: Helping Others
Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Why Do We Help? Gaining rewards, avoiding punishment –Social exchange –Internal rewards Guilt Negative mood Exceptions to the feel bad-do good scenario Feel good, do good
Altruism: Helping Others Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Why Do We Help? Social norms The reciprocity norm The social responsibility norm Gender and helping norms © Scott Shaw, The Odessa (Texas) American
Altruism: Helping Others Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Why Do We Help? Evolutionary psychology –Kin protection –Reciprocity Comparing and evaluating theories of altruism Genuine Altruism
Altruism: Helping Others Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. When Will We Help? Number of Bystanders Noticing Interpreting Assuming responsibility Helping when someone else does Time Pressures Similarity © Robert Brenner/PhotoEdit
Altruism: Helping Others Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Who Will Help? Personality Traits Religious faith
Altruism: Helping Others Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. How Can We Increase Helping? Undoing the restraints on helping –Reduce ambiguity, increase responsibility –Guilt and concern for self-image Socializing altruism –Teaching moral inclusion –Modeling altruism –Attributing helpful behavior to altruistic motives –Learning about altruism
Altruism: Helping Others Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Supplemental Slides
Altruism: Helping Others Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Theories of Altruism
Altruism: Helping Others Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Media & Altruism