Ethics III: Altruism and Moral Action

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Questions and Answers

What condition is expected to induce the highest willingness to help Janet?

Low Empathy and Low Punishment

Low Empathy and High Punishment

High Empathy and Low Punishment (correct)

High Empathy and High Punishment

Which hypothesis suggests that people help others to alleviate their own discomfort?

Altruism Hypothesis

Aversion-Arousal Reduction Hypothesis (correct)

Social Punishment Hypothesis

Empathy-Needs Hypothesis

What might lead subjects to feel less pressure to assist Janet according to the experiment's setup?

High empathy with public acknowledgement

Low potential for punishment (correct)

Low empathy with public acknowledgment

High potential for punishment

According to the results of the study, what primarily motivates pro-social behavior?

A desire to help others Signup and view all the answers

In the low empathy condition, what focus were the subjects instructed to maintain?

Analyze the techniques utilized in the message Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary task performed by subjects during the aversive condition experiment?

To observe and report on Elaine's performance Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following outcomes did NOT support the social punishment hypothesis?

Subjects helped more in public settings Signup and view all the answers

What impact does high empathy combined with high potential for punishment have on helping behavior, according to the hypotheses?

Diminishes willingness to help Signup and view all the answers

What does the empathy-altruism hypothesis suggest about people's motivations to help others?

Empathy leads to a desire to help for the well-being of others. Signup and view all the answers

Which term refers to an emotional reaction directed towards the suffering of others?

Empathy Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary aim of Batson’s experiments on empathy?

To explore whether altruism is a genuine motivation. Signup and view all the answers

According to the social punishment hypothesis, what do people fear if they do not help when feeling empathy?

They will face social disapproval. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a possibility suggested regarding the outcome of feeling empathy?

Causes people to act purely out of self-interest. Signup and view all the answers

In the experiments, how were the subjects led to perceive their role?

They believed they were evaluating Janet’s notes. Signup and view all the answers

What kind of emotional response is associated with the inability to help others according to the theories presented?

Unpleasant feeling Signup and view all the answers

What was the name given to the study that involved subjects reading notes about Janet's feelings?

Impression Formation Study Signup and view all the answers

Which factor contributes to the willingness to help Elaine in Batson's experiments?

The level of empathy induced in subjects Signup and view all the answers

What does the aversive-arousal reduction hypothesis suggest?

Helping others reduces the unsatisfactory feelings induced by empathy. Signup and view all the answers

How does Batson's empathy-altruism hypothesis primarily differ from egoism?

Altruism involves a genuine concern for others, whereas egoism focuses on personal gains. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following was NOT one of the rival explanations critiquing Batson's support for altruism?

Social comparison theory Signup and view all the answers

In the experiment, what condition was associated with the highest willingness to help?

High empathy with no easy escape Signup and view all the answers

What is a key component of the super-bad feeling hypothesis?

Individuals feel compelled to help to avoid bad feelings. Signup and view all the answers

What does the no easy escape condition involve in the context of Batson's experiment?

Participants must continue watching trials if they do not help. Signup and view all the answers

Which explanation does NOT support altruistic behavior according to Batson's findings?

Emotional satisfaction from helping Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Recap on Moral Actions

Discussion on why people act morally focuses on two theories: psychological egoism and altruism.
Psychological egoism claims that people act in their self-interest, while altruism posits that actions can be benevolent towards others.

Altruism and Empathy

Empathy is defined as an other-oriented emotional response to witnessing someone in distress.
The empathy-altruism hypothesis suggests that feeling empathy increases the likelihood of helping others in need.

Testing Empathy: Daniel Batson's Experiments

Batson designed experiments to test the empathy-altruism hypothesis against alternative explanations, including social punishment and aversive-arousal reduction.

Suggests that feelings of empathy lead individuals to fear negative social consequences for not helping.
Participants believed they were involved in an impression formation study regarding a lonely individual named Janet.

Participants assigned as "listeners" read notes from Janet, who expressed her loneliness.
Two conditions of empathy were created: high empathy (encouraged to imagine Janet's feelings) versus low empathy (focusing on the writing technique).
Two levels of social punishment potential: high (experimenters would know if help was declined) and low (responses were confidential).

Findings indicated support for the empathy-altruism hypothesis: individuals acted out of a genuine desire to help rather than fear of social repercussions.

Aversive-Arousal Reduction Hypothesis

This hypothesis claims helping behavior arises from a desire to eliminate unpleasant feelings caused by observing someone's suffering.
Batson exposed participants to a scenario where another subject (Elaine) received electric shocks and assessed their willingness to take her place.

Experiment Design for Aversive-Arousal Reduction Hypothesis

Participants were placed in conditions of high or low empathy and were either allowed an easy escape or faced the obligation to watch more distressing trials if they did not help Elaine.

Results of Aversive-Arousal Reduction Hypothesis

Results supported the empathy-altruism hypothesis, but critics argue that findings may still align with egoistic motives, such as supernatural punishment or an urge to alleviate discomfort.

Key Criticisms of Batson's Findings

Critics assert that rival explanations, such as fear of supernatural disapproval or the need to remove a negative emotional state, could still account for helping behaviors.
A definitive demonstration of altruism requires proving these rival explanations are false, presenting a challenge for the empathy-altruism hypothesis.

Summary of Main Themes

Batson’s experiments contribute to the debate between altruism and various egoistic interpretations.
Key hypotheses examined include empathy-altruism, social punishment, and aversive-arousal reduction, each with distinct implications about human motivation to help others.

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Description

This quiz delves into the concepts of altruism and psychological egoism as discussed in PHI101 Introduction to Philosophy. It also examines Daniel Batson's psychological experiments on altruism and the distinctions between ultimate and instrumental desires. Test your understanding of these key philosophical ideas!