Prosocial Behaviour: Key Concepts and Examples

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Questions and Answers

What primarily motivates altruistic helping according to the Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis?

Empathy (correct)

Cognitive dissonance

Social approval

Personal gain

Which cultural concept emphasizes friendly, helpful behavior toward others in Latin America and Spain?

Simpatia (correct)

Facilitating Reciprocity

Altruismo

Collectivism

How does a high level of empathy influence helping behavior in challenging situations?

Reduces the chance of helping

Leads to egoistic behavior

Increases likelihood to help (correct)

Encourages avoidance of the situation

Which of the following factors might increase prosocial behavior in individuals feeling guilty?

Desire to alleviate negative feelings Signup and view all the answers

What does the Norm of Reciprocity suggest about helping behavior?

People are motivated by the expectation of help in return. Signup and view all the answers

Which study indicates that emotional distress post-9/11 influenced motivations for helping through egoistic means?

Piferi et al. (2006) Signup and view all the answers

How does operant conditioning relate to prosocial behavior?

It promotes prosocial behavior through rewards and punishments. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Feel-Good, Do-Good effect primarily associated with?

Increased helping behavior when in a good mood Signup and view all the answers

What does Social Exchange Theory suggest about prosocial behaviour?

People engage in prosocial behaviour only when benefits outweigh costs. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a factor that can influence whether a person decides to help someone in need?

Personal mood at the moment. Signup and view all the answers

How might cultural norms affect prosocial behaviour?

They set a standard for expected helping behaviours. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes altruism?

Helping others without any expectation of personal benefit. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis?

Empathy motivates helping behaviour without personal gain expectations. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a characteristic of prosocial behaviour?

It must be intentional and aimed at benefiting others. Signup and view all the answers

What emotional responses can lead to increased helping behaviour?

Empathy and compassion. Signup and view all the answers

Which motivation for prosocial behaviour relates to improving one's self-image?

Self-esteem boost. Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon describes the tendency for individuals to be less likely to help in an emergency situation when other people are present?

Bystander Effect Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following accurately describes kin selection in terms of prosocial behavior?

More likely to help close relatives to pass on genes Signup and view all the answers

In cultures identified as 'simpatia', which factor influences prosocial behavior significantly?

Relational ties and emotional expressiveness Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary motivation behind altruistic behavior as opposed to egoistic behavior?

Helping without expecting anything in return Signup and view all the answers

Which factor can enhance the likelihood of helping behavior in a group setting?

Bystanders knowing each other Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following studies highlighted the norm of reciprocity in prosocial behavior?

Regan (1971) Signup and view all the answers

How does mood generally influence helping behavior?

Good moods often increase helping behavior Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best defines the concept of pluralistic ignorance in the context of helping behavior?

Assuming a situation is a shared emergency without taking action Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Prosocial Behaviour: Definition and Key Characteristics

Prosocial behaviour involves actions intended to benefit another person.
Key characteristics include:
- Action-oriented, not a thought or feeling.
- Intentional, even if the outcome is negative.
- Intended to benefit another person, regardless of their acceptance.

Examples of Prosocial Behavior

Simple examples: Picking up dropped items, donating to the homeless, volunteer work, helping family move.
Extreme examples: Entering a burning building, aiding someone on train tracks, organ donation.

Motivations for Prosocial Behaviour

Egoism: Helping for self-benefit (immediately or in the future).
- Motivations include reciprocity, social approval, relieving distress, and improving self-esteem.
Social Exchange Theory: Helping if the benefits outweigh the costs.
- Rewards include help in return, improved reputation, feeling good, and guilt reduction.
- Costs include time, effort, discomfort, and physical danger.
Altruism: Helping others at a cost to oneself, without expecting anything in return.

Empathy and Helping

Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of another person.
Empathic emotions: Compassion, sympathy, tenderness, and empathy-based anger.
Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis: Empathy motivates altruistic helping, while a lack of empathy causes egoistic helping.
High Empathy: More likely to help, even if escape is possible.
Low Empathy: Less likely to help unless escape is impossible.

Factors Influencing Prosocial Behaviour

Operant Conditioning: Learned through rewards and punishments, e.g. parents rewarding helpfulness, Good Samaritan laws.
Cognitive Dissonance: Discomfort when failing to help those in need; prosocial behaviour resolves this.
Social Learning Theory: Observing, modelling, and media influence prosocial behaviours (e.g., TV shows, video games).

Culture and Prosocial Behaviour

Cultural norms: Influence prosocial behaviour.
- Examples: Simpatia (Latin America/Spain), emphasis on friendly helpfulness.

The Norm of Reciprocity

People help others expecting help in return, or because others have helped them.
Reciprocity: Increased helping when someone has helped before.

Mood and Prosocial Behaviour

Feel-Good, Do-Good Effect: Good mood inspires more prosocial behaviour.
Bad Mood: Guilt or sadness may also increase helping (to alleviate negative feelings).

Evolution and Prosocial Behaviour

Kin Selection: Helping close relatives to ensure their genes are passed on.
Charles Darwin: Prosocial behaviours increase survival.

The Bystander Effect

More bystanders, less likely people are to help; due to diffusion of responsibility and pluralistic ignorance.
Bystander effect: People assume someone else will act, decreasing their likelihood of intervening.

Important Studies

Regan (1971): Reciprocity in helping behaviour.
Levine et al. (2001): Cultural differences in prosocial behaviours globally.
Darley & Latane (1968): The bystander effect demonstrated in emergency scenarios.

Steps to Helping

Notice the event.
Interpret it as an emergency.
Assume responsibility.
Know how to help.
Implement the help.

Key Factors in Helping

Number of bystanders, nature of emergency, and relationship to the victim.

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Description

Explore the definition and key characteristics of prosocial behaviour, where actions are taken to benefit others. This quiz covers various motivations behind such behaviours and offers examples that range from simple assistance to extreme acts of heroism.