social psychology

2. Helping Behavior:
Refers to voluntary action intended to
help the other with reward regarded or
disregarded.

3. Key concept:
 Altruism
 Prosocial behavior

4. Altruism:
Helping another person with no
expectation of receiving a reward.
Prosocial Behavior:
Behavior that helps others regardless of
the helper’s motive.

5. What is altruism?
Helping behaviours focused only
on the well-being of others (and
often at personal cost).
Prosocial behaviour  Altruism
(because PS may involve self-
interest)

6. Is altruismpossible?
 If altruistic helpers are only helping to
make themselves feel good,
aren’t they really just being selfish?
 Does the innate pleasure we get
from helping point to the basic
goodness of human nature?
 Is altruism, then, just as natural as
selfishness?

7. Reciprocity
 Obligation to return in kind what
another has done for us
–Direct reciprocity: Helping someone who
may help you later
–Indirect reciprocity: Help someone;
someone else helps you later
 Willingness to request or accept help is
often predicated on the ability to return in
kind.

8.  Norms that promote fairness
– Equity - each person receives benefits in
proportion to what he or she did
– Equality - everyone gets the same amount,
regardless of performance
 People desire a system based on fairness and social
exchange
 Sensitivity about being the target of a threatening
upward comparison
Fairness

9. What is prosocial behaviour?
"voluntary actions that are
intended to help or benefit
another individual or group
of individuals"
(Eisenberg & Mussen 1989, p. 3)

10. Imagine you encounter a stranger
who appears to have collapsed on the
street….
What factors
would influence
your decision
whether to help
this person or
not?

11. Questions
Who helps who?
Why do humans behave in helpful
and cooperative ways – even
when it is not in their own self-
interest to do so?
Is there such a thing as genuine
altruism?
How can we increase helping?

12. What is prosocial behaviour?
Doing something good for
someone or society.
Building relationships
Helping society to function.
Adding to “social capital”

13. What is prosocial behavior?
Includes:
Helping others
Obeying rules
Conforming to socially acceptable
behavior
Cooperating with others

15. Why do we help?
(Reasons)
 Social norms
 Sociobiology
 Social Exchange
 Empathy and Altruism
 Similarity

16. Social Norms:
Two basic social norms are common in
human societies.
1) Norm of reciprocity
2) Norm of social responsibility

17.  Reciprocity - we should help
those who help us.
 Social responsibility - help others
who are dependent & in need.
 Social justice - help only when
others deserve our assistance.
 Cultural difference (e.g., Miller et
al., 1990)
Social norms

18. Norm of Reciprocity:
Social rule that we are obligated to
help those who help us.
“if you don’t go somebody’s funeral, they
won’t come to yours” (yogi Berra)
(e.g. if we help someone, he / she
will help in return)

19. Norm of social responsibility
Social rule that we should help
those who depend on us.
(e.g. parents care for their
children, teachers guide student)

20. Social Exchange:
Social exchange theory :
The theory that social relationships are best
understood by people’s desire to maximize their
benefits and minimize their cost.
To obtain recognition and positive feedback at low cost
“man do not value a good deed unless it brings a
reward”
(Ovid, Epistulae ex ponto)

21. Sociobiology:
Instinct and Genes
Empathy and Altruism:
The Pure Motive for Helping

22. Empathy – Altruism Hypothesis
The theory holding that when we feel
empathy for a person, we will attempt to
help him or her, regardless of what we
have to gain

23. Similarity
We are more likely to help to
people who are similar to us
than dissimilar

24. Reducing Guilt Feeling:
The idea that good deeds, cancel
bad deeds.
Relive their Own Sadness &
Distress:
Help someone else with the goal
of helping self

25. Why Do Some People Help
More Than Others?
The Effect of Mood on Helping:
Feel Good , Do Good
Closeness :
more likely to help those we know

26. “it’s curious how, when you’re in
love, you yearn to go about doing
acts of kindness to everybody.
(P.G Wodehouse, the mating season ,1949)

27. When will we help?
What circumstances prompt people to help, or
not to help?

28. 1. Notice that something is happening
2. Interpret meaning of event
– Pluralistic ignorance
3. Taking responsibility for providing help
– Diffusion of responsibility
4. Know how to help
5. Provide help
Steps to helping

29. The decision process in Latane &
Darley’s cognitive model
+ + +
Attend to
what is
happening
Define
event as
emergency
Assume
responsibility
Decide
what can
be done
Give help

30. NO help
NO help
NO help
Try to help
Interpret as
emergency?
Assume
responsibility?
Notice the
incident?

31. Summary & conclusions
 Prosocial behavior includes conformity,
obedience, and cooperating with others, but
may also include disobedience.
 Human culture depends on people
following rules.
 Following the rules of society and
culture generally brings immense
personal and social benefits.
 Is altruism unique to humans?

33. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK:
M’aam
&
Whole class
FROM GROUP 4:
Nadeem Qasmi