Social Psychology: Prosocial Behavior, Aggression, and Persuasion

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What aspect of human behavior is studied by social psychologists in relation to helping others?

Persuasive Strategies

Aggression and Violence

Conflict and Conformity

Prosocial Behavior (correct)

In dyadic situations, when does prosocial behavior occur?

When one person takes advantage of another's need

When one person is in need and another provides necessary assistance (correct)

When both individuals act aggressively

When both individuals refuse to cooperate

What types of behaviors are considered examples of helping and prosocial behavior?

Ignoring others in need

Sharing personal resources and volunteering time (correct)

Manipulating others for selfish reasons

Competing with others for personal gain

What influences the decision of whether or not to help someone in need?

External factors to be considered Signup and view all the answers

Which concept will be explored as being contrary to prosocial behavior?

Aggression Signup and view all the answers

What does the Asch experiment primarily focus on?

Conformity Signup and view all the answers

Which behavior will be addressed in relation to the Milgram experiment?

Obedience Signup and view all the answers

What will social psychologists discuss regarding the influence of persuasive tactics?

Awareness of persuasive tactics Signup and view all the answers

Which element will be discussed in relation to the decrease of prosocial behavior?

Internal and external factors associated with aggression Signup and view all the answers

What are the actions that people may take in dyadic situations involving prosocial behavior?

Providing necessary assistance to eliminate needs Signup and view all the answers

What term is used to describe the phenomenon where people use the inactions of others to define their own course of action?

Pluralistic Ignorance Signup and view all the answers

In the event of pluralistic ignorance, what can be erroneously concluded by potential helpers?

No help is needed when help is actually required Signup and view all the answers

What contributed to the diffusion of responsibility effect in the bystander scenario at the 2013 Boston Marathon?

Official capacity of yellow-jacketed race officials Signup and view all the answers

Diffusion of responsibility occurs when?

There are many bystanders present Signup and view all the answers

What was one contributing factor to the diffusion of responsibility in the Kitty Genovese case?

Large number of bystanders Signup and view all the answers

In the context of bystander intervention research, what is an aspect that researchers focus on?

Determining when bystanders decide to help Signup and view all the answers

What do pluralistic ignorance and diffusion of responsibility both negatively impact according to the text?

Helping behavior in both emergencies and everyday need situations Signup and view all the answers

What plays a significant role in determining whether bystanders will assume personal responsibility to help?

Presence or absence of others Signup and view all the answers

When assessing ambiguous situations, why might potential helpers look to the actions of others, according to the text?

To relieve themselves of responsibility Signup and view all the answers

What term is used to describe erroneously concluding that no help is needed when help is actually required in ambiguous situations?

Pluralistic Ignorance Signup and view all the answers

What plays a crucial role in determining whether a potential helper will provide assistance or not?

Cost–benefit analysis Signup and view all the answers

How do men and women differ in their helping behaviors according to research findings?

Men tend to take more physical risks. Signup and view all the answers

According to Graziano and his colleagues, what trait plays an important role in prosocial behavior?

Agreeableness Signup and view all the answers

In what situations are men more likely to intervene compared to women?

Confronting dangerous situations Signup and view all the answers

What can be a potential consequence of social training and gender roles on helping behavior?

Men may be more likely to engage in heroic acts. Signup and view all the answers

How do agreeable individuals expect others to behave in social interactions?

Cooperatively Signup and view all the answers

What concept suggests that helping behavior is rooted in reciprocal exchanges for mutual benefit?

Reciprocal altruism Signup and view all the answers

What factor may make a man more likely to intervene in risky situations compared to a woman?

Having greater upper body strength Signup and view all the answers

How do evolutionary considerations impact prosocial behavior towards unrelated individuals?

They reinforce reciprocal altruism even with unrelated individuals. Signup and view all the answers

Which personality trait dimension is most closely associated with being generous and helpful according to the 'Big-Five' model?

Agreeableness Signup and view all the answers

What theory suggests that people sometimes help to make themselves feel better?

Negative state relief model Signup and view all the answers

According to Batson's empathy–altruism model, what is the key factor for altruistically motivated helping?

Empathizing with the victim Signup and view all the answers

Which model revolves around the idea of focusing on increasing the well-being of the victim in need?

Empathy–Altruism model Signup and view all the answers

What model explains that some helpers may experience personal distress and have egoistic motivations in helping situations?

Empathy–Altruism model Signup and view all the answers

Which motivation for helping includes seeking personal benefits and a cost–benefit analysis of the situation?

Egoistic motivation Signup and view all the answers

In which situation are altruistically motivated helpers more likely to incur costs to assist someone in need?

When they empathize with the victim Signup and view all the answers

What may egoistically motivated individuals be primarily concerned with?

Avoiding costs to themselves Signup and view all the answers

Which theory suggests that helpers may be seeking to relieve negative moods by helping others?

Negative state relief model Signup and view all the answers

What does the empathy–altruism model propose as the ultimate goal of altruistically motivated helping?

Increasing the well-being of the victim Signup and view all the answers

Why are altruistically motivated helpers more likely to accept costs in helping situations compared to egoistically motivated individuals?

To benefit someone with whom they have empathized Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Social situation plays a crucial role in determining whether people will help others in need, especially when it's unclear what to do and who should do it.
Others provide important social information about how to act and what personal obligations might be.

The Costs and Rewards of Helping

Potential helpers engage in a cost-benefit analysis before getting involved, considering factors like time, money, resources, and risk.
If the needed help is of relatively low cost, help is more likely to be given.

Gender Differences in Helping Behavior

Men and women appear to help in different ways, with men more likely to intervene in risky situations and women more likely to provide comfort and emotional support.
Two factors explain sex and gender differences in helping: cost-benefit analysis and socialization.
Physical differences between men and women may come into play, and social roles prepare them to respond differently to the needs of others.

Agreeableness and Helping Behavior

Agreeableness is a core trait that includes being sympathetic, generous, forgiving, and helpful.
Research has found that individuals higher on the agreeableness dimension are more likely to help others, including siblings, friends, strangers, and members of other groups.

Evolutionary Roots of Prosocial Behavior

Reciprocal altruism suggests that helping others can lead to reciprocal benefits in the long run.
We are better off if we help one another, and this phenomenon is not limited to our own family members.

When Do People Help?

Social psychologists study the dynamics associated with helping others, including the circumstances that foster or decrease helpful behavior.
Factors influencing the decision to help include defining the situation, diffusion of responsibility, and the costs and benefits of intervening.

Defining the Situation and Pluralistic Ignorance

Potential helpers may look to the actions of others to decide what to do in ambiguous situations.
Relying on others to define the situation can lead to pluralistic ignorance, where everyone looks to others to act, resulting in less help being given.

Diffusion of Responsibility

The presence of others can facilitate or inhibit helping, as individuals may feel relieved of personal responsibility when others are present.
This phenomenon is known as diffusion of responsibility.

Egoistic and Altruistic Motivations for Helping

Egoistic motivations for helping include seeking personal rewards or relief from negative moods.
Altruistic motivations, on the other hand, involve helping others with the ultimate goal of improving their welfare, without expectation of personal benefits.

The Empathy-Altruism Model

The empathy-altruism model suggests that empathizing with the victim can lead to altruistic motivations for helping.
Altruistically motivated helpers are willing to accept costs to benefit others, even if they don't receive personal rewards.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

Explore the dynamics of helping others, prosocial behavior, aggression, violence, and persuasive strategies in social psychology. Learn about situations that foster or decrease prosocial behavior, internal and external factors linked to aggression, and different persuasive strategies.