Altruism and Pro-social Behavior Who (has) does “service”? Who has asked a friend for a “favor”? Like RELATIONSHIPS, we all have some experience

Thinking about your own experiences: When have you received help? From whom do you receive help? How do you/did you feel about these events? When have you given help? To whom have you offered help? How do you/did you feel about these events?

What are these? Define PRO-SOCIAL BEHAVIOR: Define ALTRUISM: Action intended to benefit another Positive, Constructive, Helpful behavior. The opposite of antisocial behavior. Behaviors that are carried out with the goal of helping other people Define ALTRUISM: Action intended solely to benefit another and thus not to gain external or internal reward Unselfish regard for the welfare of others Pro-social behaviors a person carries out without considering his or her own safety or interests.

Theoretical perspectives on helping behavior: Learning Perspective Evolutionary Perspective Prosocial behavior: any act intended to help others regardless of the helpers motives Altruism: acts intended to help others with no expectation of personal gain Social-Cognitive Perspective Socio-Cultural Perspective

Learning Perspective: Two general principles: reinforcement: rewards and punishments observational learning Prosocial behavior: Learning: reinforcement: effects of rewards and punishments observational/social learning: prosocial models does involve rewards and punishments as well Altruism

Learning Perspective Research: Prosocial behavior: Altruism

Learning Perspective Research: Prosocial behavior: Altruism

Evolutionary Perspective: animal examples tendency to help others: survival value mutual/reciprocal altruism self preservation versus altruism: predisposed to both Prosocial behavior: Altruism

Socio-Cultural Perspective: Social Norms: norm of social responsibility: help those who depend on us norm of reciprocity: help those who help us norm of social justice: rules about fairness and the just distribution of resources equity principle: inequity = pressure to redistribute Prosocial behavior: Altruism

Socio-Cultural Research: Socio-cultural Perspective Reciprocity Norm Study: Prosocial behavior: Altruism

Social-Cognitive Perspective: Cognitive/Decision-Making Steps: Need Perception Personal Responsibility Prosocial behavior: Costs/Benefits Assessment Altruism What Help and How

Social-cognitive Perspective Need Perception: Social-cognitive Perspective Need Perception interpretation is vital: ambiguous versus unambiguous cues cues for interpretation as emergency: sudden/unexpected clear threat of harm to victim harm increases without intervention victim is helpless effective intervention is possible Prosocial behavior: Altruism

Need Perception Research: Social-cognitive Perspective Need Perception Study: Prosocial behavior: Altruism

Personal responsibility: Social-cognitive Perspective Personal Responsibility Prosocial behavior: Altruism

Costs/Benefits Assessment Social-cognitive Perspective Need Perception: Costs/Benefits Assessment Social-cognitive Perspective consider the potential gains/losses Help Not Help Prosocial behavior: Perceived Profits: rewards - costs Perceived Profits: rewards - costs Altruism We help when the perceived profits of helping are greater than those of not helping

Theoretical perspectives on helping behavior: Social-cognitive Perspective Cognitive/Decision-Making Steps: Need Perception Personal Responsibility Prosocial behavior: Costs/Benefits Assessment Altruism What Help and How

General Determinants of Behavior: Emotions Learning Genetics Behavior Prosocial behavior Motives Roles Altruism Norms Cognitions Self Concept

Why do people help each other? Compassion vs. Compliance Compassion help because the person is in real need socially valued trait helper feels good and will want to help again Compliance credit for good deed given to requestor helper may feel regret or reactance toward manipulation and less likely to help again

Why do people help each other? Batson, Harris, McCaul, Davis & Schmidt (1979) Females in this study that were forced into a compliance situation were~ in less of a good mood less likely to help in response to a second request less likely to show altruistic behavior Therefore, if you are forced into a situation you are less likely to feel rewarded and also less likely to help again.

Why do people help each other? Empathic Concern Egoism vs. Altruism Egoism~ helping yourself motivation to reduce personal stress Altruism~ helping others in order to reduce their stress

What about the religious? From Jerusalem to Jericho (Darley & Batson) “The Good Samaritan”: a psychological view the Levite and priest are religious, yet the religious outcast (ie. Samaritan) actually helps

What is going on in this parable? Three Reasons: 1. Differences in thought priest and Levite are concerned with religious matters, the Samaritan more with mundane issues 2. Differences in hurriedness priest and Levite are important in society, therefore more likely to be in a hurry 3. Differences in religiosity priest and Levite are more concerned with lofty ideals of religion as opposed to the spontaneity of the Samaritan

Three Hypotheses Derived~ A person consumed by religious thoughts will be more likely to help an individual than a person thinking about something else A person encountering a possible helping situation when they are in a hurry will be less likely to offer help than someone who is not in a hurry People who are religious in a Samaritan-like way are more likely to help than those religious in a priest of Levite way

Results Subject matter did not affect the people (norm salience) Subjects in a hurry were less likely to help No data to support that types of religiosity will predict helping

So, what would the Pope do? Most likely, it doesn’t appear that the Pope would stop on the street to help you out There are too many costs and dangers involved He is also an extremely busy man and very theologically based, not very down to earth Plus, he wouldn’t want to be forced into it

Theoretical Explanations for Prosocial Behavior: Explanation: Motivation: Reason for helping: Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis Observe Emergency Empathy is aroused Victim needs help Feels good to help Negative- State Relief Model Observe Emergency Negative Affect is aroused To reduce own negative affect Empathic Joy Hypothesis Observe Emergency Leads to desire to act, and positively affect the victim To engage in an activity with a positive outcome and feel good Genetic Determinism Model Observe Emergency Unconscious desire to help if victim genetically similar To maximize survival of similar genes