Prosocial, Asocial, and antisocial Evaluation of individuals Eating lunch By Annalice Rich

Observation Description Location: Café Rio in rural Vernal Utah Date: November 23rd, 2015 Time: 1:20 pm Those Observed: 3 different tables of people. Table 1: Two female adults, three children ages ranging 1-8. Table 2: Three male adults, four female adults, two children ages approximately five and nine. Table 3: One male adult.

Table 1 Table descriptions Consisted of 2 female adults. One of the females appeared to be in charge of 2 of the children. One of the females appeared to be in charge of 1 of the children. Each of the women spent much of their efforts looking after the children. Their overall demeanor seemed prosocial as they would make an effort to help each other and the children with them.

Table 2 Table 3 Table descriptions Consisted of 3 male adults and 4 female adults. It was somewhat unclear what adults were in charge of which children. Most of the adults were occupied with socializing with one another. Little attention was paid to the children. The children showed more asocial and antisocial traits. The adults showed mixed traits. Consisted of 1 male adult. Kept more to himself Showed mostly asocial traits.

List of prosocial behaviors Tables 1 and 2 happily talked amongst themselves. Adults of table 1 helped their children eat their food. A male adults from table 2 held the door open for another individual. A female adult from table 2 volunteered to get utensils and straws for the other adults and children of her table. Both female adults from table 1 thanked the workers for their food. One of the females from table 1 kindly bought lunch for the other female from her table A worker kindly cleared and cleaned the tables of most tables, while offering to-go containers.

List of asocial behaviors Adult male from table 3 didn’t speak to people around him. Male from table 3 sat alone and made minimal contact with workers. Adults from table 2 interacted little with the children at their table. Most of the adults failed to thank the workers. Male from table 3 walked by a child needing help reaching a cup. Male from table 3 walked quickly through the door and avoided holding it open for others.

list of antisocial behaviors Male from table 2 jumped ahead in the line for drinks and didn’t consider others that were waiting. Child from table 2 picked up a drink that didn’t belong to him and drank it. Child from table 1 hit another child from the same table. Male from table 2 yelled at a worker because they ran out of chips. Child from table 1 yelled at an adult because they didn’t want help.

Interesting insights There are many explanations for the different ways the individuals acted. Some of these include; Gender: “women are more likely to be helpful in long-term relationships that involve greater commitment” (Aronson, Wilson, Akert, & Sommers, 2013, p.355). -Such is the case with the women that took care of the children at table1.

Interesting insights cont. Mood: “people that feel good, do good”(Aronson, Wilson, Akert, & Sommers, 2013, p.358). -The opposite may have had an effect on the male from table 3 that seemed asocial in his interactions. Environment: “People who grow up in a small town are more likely to altruistic values” (Aronson, Wilson, Akert, & Sommers, 2013, p.359). - Being that the individuals observed were from a rural community, they may have been more prosocial than those of an urban community.

Reference Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., Akert, R. M., Sommers, S. R. (2013). Social Psychology, Ninth Edition. Pearson.