Social Norms and Helping

• Norm of Reciprocity - We feel obligated to help people who have helped us.

Norm of Reciprocity and Helping

• Norm of Reciprocity - We feel obligated to help people who have helped us.

• Qualified by Norm of Equity - The overbenefited should help the underbenefited

• Norm of Social Responsibility - We should help those who need us.

• Qualified by Norm of Justice - We should help those who deserve it.

Social Norms and Helping (Cont.)

Good Mood and Helping

• People in a good mood are more likely to help• The cookie study• The dime in the phone booth study• One catch it wears off quickly

Good Mood and Helping(Wears Off with Time)

• How does it work• Positive thoughts• Mood maintenance

Good Mood and Helping

Bad Mood and Helping

• People in a bad mood are also more likely to help• Guilt in particular seems to motivate helping

• The Lie Study• Other bad moods also increase helping

(sometimes)• Helping boosts people’s mood

• But if mood is improved in another way bad mood doesn’t improve helping

• It doesn’t workfor children• Suggests that helping provides an internal

gratification

Empathy and Helping

• Other’s distress leads to two emotional responses• one’s own distress• empathy - compassion for the other person

• This leads to two motivations• motive to reduce own’s own distress• motive to help the other person

• This leads to two behavioral responses• attempt to reduce own’s distress - leave• attempt to help the other person - stay

Batson, Duncan, Ackerman, Buckley, & Birch (1981) Experiment

• The Setup • Confederate receiving shock• Participant observing

• The Independent Variables• Increased empathy with the victim• Opportunity to leave the experiment

• The findings

Results of Batson, et al., 1981

Empathy and HelpingSummary of Batson’s Model

Schaller & Cialdini (1988) - A Challenge to Batson’s Model

• The Setup -• Participants listened to a tape supposedly

from a fellow student in need of help.• The Independent variable -

• Increased empathy with the victim• They expected to listen to neutral or mood-

enhancing information, or be given the opportunity to help

• The results -

Schaller & Cialdini (1988) results

So, Are We Altruistic or Not?

• Cialdini and colleagues argue that an egoistic interpretation cannot be ruled out.

• Nevertheless, it seems that crass egoism can be distinguished from helping that is at least partially motivated by the desire to help the other.