Psychology Chapter 9: Prosocial Behavior

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Questions and Answers

What is prosocial behavior?

Doing something that is good for other people or for society as a whole.

Which of the following are examples of prosocial behavior? (Select all that apply)

Taking your best friend to the hospital when she is sick (correct)

Stopping at red lights when driving (correct)

Patiently listening to your boss's feedback on a report that you wrote (correct)

Ignoring someone's need for help

What does it mean to have an effective rule of law?

When members of a society respect and follow its rules.

What evidence supports that we are born to reciprocate?

The sociologist Phil Kunz sent 578 Christmas cards to strangers and received 117 in return. Signup and view all the answers

What are norms?

Standards established by society to tell its members what types of behavior are typical or expected. Signup and view all the answers

What does sensitivity about being the target of a threatening upward comparison mean?

Interpersonal concern about the consequences of outperforming others. Signup and view all the answers

Compare and contrast underbenefited and overbenefited:

Underbenefited = Getting less than you deserve; leads to feelings of anger and resentment. Overbenefited = Getting more than you deserve; leads to guilt and depression. Signup and view all the answers

What is survivor guilt?

Feeling bad for having lived through a terrible experience where many others died. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the prisoner's dilemma.

A game that forces people to choose between cooperation and competition. Signup and view all the answers

What are the tradeoffs in the prisoner's dilemma?

The choice is between a cooperative response and an antagonistic response. Signup and view all the answers

What is Tit-For-Tat?

A strategy for the prisoner's dilemma based on reciprocity. Signup and view all the answers

What is forgiveness?

Ceasing to feel angry toward and ceasing to seek retribution against someone who has wronged you. Signup and view all the answers

What conclusions have been drawn regarding forgiveness?

Research shows that partners who forgive each other are happier over time. Signup and view all the answers

What is obedience?

Following orders from an authority figure. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the Milgram experiment.

An experiment to find out if people would follow orders that might injure or kill someone. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Prosocial Behavior

Defined as actions intended to benefit others or society.

Examples of Prosocial Behavior

Assisting a sick friend by taking them to the hospital.
Adhering to traffic laws, such as stopping at red lights.
Actively listening to a boss's feedback on work.

Effective Rule of Law

Members of society, including leaders, must respect and follow established rules.
Leads to improved happiness within society and enhanced employee cooperation.
Examples include fairness, justice, and public responsibility.

Evidence for Reciprocation

Phil Kunz's 1976 study: Sending 578 Christmas cards to strangers resulted in 117 returned cards and phone calls, indicating innate human predisposition to reciprocate kindness.

Norms

Socially established standards guiding expected behaviors.
Norms promoting fairness significantly influence contributions to community good.

Sensitivity about Upward Comparison

Concerns arise when outperforming peers, fearing resentment.
Individuals may downplay their successes to avoid causing envy among friends.

Underbenefited vs. Overbenefited

Underbenefited: Receiving less than deserved, often resulting in anger and resentment.
Overbenefited: Receiving more than deserved, which can lead to feelings of guilt and depression.

Survivor Guilt

Occurs when individuals feel remorse for surviving situations where others have perished, such as keeping a job during layoffs in a downturn.

Prisoner's Dilemma

A scenario where individuals must choose between cooperation and competition.
Communication enhances cooperation; lack of communication hinders it.

Tradeoffs in the Prisoner's Dilemma

Balancing self-benefit against the collective good.
Zero-sum game: One’s gain is another’s loss.
Non-zero-sum game: Opportunities exist for mutual benefit or loss.

Tit-For-Tat Strategy

Developed by Robert Axelrod through a computer tournament to analyze successful strategies in the prisoner's dilemma, emphasizing reciprocal behavior.

Forgiveness

Involves letting go of anger and not seeking revenge against wrongdoers.
Promotes relationship repair and offers health benefits to both individuals involved.

Research on Forgiveness

Partners who forgive tend to experience greater happiness over time.
Early relationship satisfaction does not predict future forgiveness; rather, forgiveness enhances relationship quality.

Obedience

Defined as following commands from authority figures, crucial for societal function.
Often has prosocial implications and contributes to social acceptance and group cohesion.

Milgram Experiment

Investigated the extent to which individuals would obey orders that could harm others, revealing insights about human obedience and moral conflict.

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Description

Explore the concept of prosocial behavior through a set of informative flashcards. This quiz delves into definitions, examples, and the significance of actions that benefit others and society. Perfect for psychology students wanting to enhance their understanding of altruistic behaviors.