prosocial behavior why do people help?. does pure altruism exist? altruism (textbook definition) -...

Prosocial behavior

Why do people help?

Does Pure Altruism Exist?

• Altruism (textbook definition) Altruism (textbook definition) --The desire to help another person even if it involves The desire to help another person even if it involves a cost to a cost to the helperthe helper..

• Pure altruism (another definition) Pure altruism (another definition) --Behavior that benefits another intentionally for Behavior that benefits another intentionally for no external or no external or internal reward.internal reward.

• Empathy-altruism hypothesis Empathy-altruism hypothesis - - When we feel empathy for a person, we will When we feel empathy for a person, we will attempt to help that person attempt to help that person purely for altruistic reasonspurely for altruistic reasons, , regardless of what we have to gain.regardless of what we have to gain.

• Social exchange theory Social exchange theory --(from chapter 10, basically says: rewards > costs) SET argues (from chapter 10, basically says: rewards > costs) SET argues that that true altruism does not exist true altruism does not exist because only help others when because only help others when rewards outweighs costsrewards outweighs costs

Genetic Relatednessand Helping

• Would you lend your car to Would you lend your car to your brother?your brother?• What about your What about your grandfather?grandfather?• What about a What about a cousin? cousin? • What about an What about an attractive stranger? attractive stranger?

• Michael Cunningham and his colleagues Michael Cunningham and his colleagues asked people whether they would be asked people whether they would be willing to help other people in different willing to help other people in different situations.situations.

8080

6060

2020

00

High(parents, siblings, children)


Percentage

Percentage

Volunteering to Help


Percentage

Percentage



4040

Degree of Degree of RelatednessRelatednessDegree of Degree of RelatednessRelatedness

Mod. (grand-parents)


Low (first cousins)

Low (first cousins)

None (attractive strangers)

None (attractive strangers)

“Inclusive Fitness”

Insights into the Evolution of Help

• Inclusive fitnessInclusive fitness - - sum of individual’s reproductive sum of individual’s reproductive success PLUS reproductive success of success PLUS reproductive success of relatives who were helped by that relatives who were helped by that individualindividual• Helping a brother or sister promotes the Helping a brother or sister promotes the

survival of genes he or she shares with the survival of genes he or she shares with the helperhelper

• Reciprocal AidReciprocal Aid - - help that occurs in return for prior help help that occurs in return for prior help• Other animals will help non-relatives if they live Other animals will help non-relatives if they live

in close proximity and can better survive by in close proximity and can better survive by sharing.sharing.

Similarity and Familiarity

• Similarity may be a cue to genetic Similarity may be a cue to genetic relatedness relatedness (our relatives look like us).(our relatives look like us).• Competitors in a negotiation game were Competitors in a negotiation game were

more trusting if shown a photo of their more trusting if shown a photo of their opponent that had been “morphed” to look opponent that had been “morphed” to look like them.like them.

• The tendency to help relatives over strangers is stronger when The tendency to help relatives over strangers is stronger when help is help is related to survivalrelated to survival..

• Research:There are three people asleep in different rooms of a burning house:• A cousincousin• A grandfather• An acquaintanceacquaintance.You have time to rescue only one. Which do you save?

There are three people who need you to There are three people who need you to run a small errand to the storerun a small errand to the store::• A A cousincousin• A A grandfather• An An acquaintanceacquaintance..

You have time to help only one. You have time to help only one. Whose errand do you run?

Genetic Similarity and Need

3.03.0

2.52.5

1.51.5

1.01.0



Tendency to Help

(errand)

Tendency to Help

(errand)

2.02.0

Degree of RelatednessDegree of Relatedness



Low (first cousins)

Low (first cousins)

None (acquaintances)


For everyday help, people tended to help close relatives more than non-relatives

For everyday help, people tended to help close relatives more than non-relatives

3.03.0

2.52.5

1.51.5

1.01.0



2.02.0

Degree of RelatednessDegree of Relatedness



Low (first cousins)

Low (first cousins)

The difference became even more pronounced in life-or-death situations

The difference became even more pronounced in life-or-death situations



Tendency to

Help (burning

house)

Tendency to

Help (burning

house)

Learning to Help:Instilled Beliefs

• Students who have studied economics and Students who have studied economics and learned the principle of learned the principle of self-interestself-interest::• Are Are less likely to contributeless likely to contribute to charities to charities• Are Are more likely to exploitmore likely to exploit a partner in a bargaining a partner in a bargaining

gamegame • Are Are more likely to negotiate for a lopsidedmore likely to negotiate for a lopsided

paymentpayment

• Children Children exposedexposed to others of different ethnic to others of different ethnic and religious backgrounds later develop a and religious backgrounds later develop a feeling of “we-ness” with the larger human feeling of “we-ness” with the larger human familyfamily• European Gentiles who European Gentiles who helped Jews escapehelped Jews escape from from

Nazis were exposed to more different ethnicities Nazis were exposed to more different ethnicities growing up than were non-helpersgrowing up than were non-helpers

Learning to Help:Expanded sense of “we”

• LabelingLabeling a child as “kind and helpful” a child as “kind and helpful” increases his or her later willingness to increases his or her later willingness to donate prizes to other children.donate prizes to other children.

• People who People who define themselvesdefine themselves as highly as highly committed to their spiritual beliefs are, committed to their spiritual beliefs are, compared to the less committed, compared to the less committed, twice as twice as likely to volunteer time to help the needy.likely to volunteer time to help the needy.

Learning to Help:Labeling and self-labeling

The effects of mood:Good Mood

• Research study:Research study:• If found coins researcher left in mall pay phone, If found coins researcher left in mall pay phone,

84% of people helped a man pick up papers84% of people helped a man pick up papers• If did not find coins…. If did not find coins….

4% of people helped a man pick 4% of people helped a man pick up papersup papers

Being in a good mood can increase helping for three reasons:

1. Good moods make us look on the bright side of life.

2. Helping others can prolong our good mood.3. Good moods increase self-attention.

The effects of mood:Presence of Sadness

• Helping can be increased by events triggering Helping can be increased by events triggering temporary sadness, such as:temporary sadness, such as:• Reminiscing about unhappy experiencesReminiscing about unhappy experiences• Reading depressing statementsReading depressing statements• Failing at a taskFailing at a task• Witnessing harm to another.Witnessing harm to another.

prosocial behavior why do people help?. does pure altruism exist? altruism (textbook definition) -...

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