Social Psychology PSY450 Instructor: Briana Harvey Welcome!

Prosocial Behavior

What is Prosocial Behavior? Cooperation, Forgiveness, Obedience, and Conformity Prosocial Behavior: Doing What’s Best for Others

Why do humans behave in helpful and cooperative ways even when it is not in their own self interest to do so? Oskar Schindler – Holocaust rescues

Doing something good for someone or for society as a whole Builds relationships; allows society to function Prosocial Behavior: 1. Helping others 2. Conforming to socially acceptable behavior 3. Cooperating with others 4. Obeying the rules What is Prosocial Behavior?

Social status – I helped, now I’m the leader Reciprocity – You give, I give Conformity – Public compliance Why be Prosocial?

Rule of law – Fairness Evolutionary – Kin-selection Altruism – Selfless good deed Why be Prosocial?

Obligation to return in kind what another has done for us – The movie “Pay it Forward” More likely to accept help if we think we can repay it in the future Born to Reciprocate

– Kunz & Woolcott (1976) – These psychologists send 578 Christmas cards to random people in the phone book – Surprisingly: – Received 117 Christmas cards in return – Some with notes, some just signed – 6 people actually confessed to not remembering him! – “Happy Holidays, stranger....” Prosocial Behavior - Reciprocation

Norms that promote fairness 1.Equity: the idea that each person receives benefits in proportion to what he or she contributes 2.Equality: the idea that everyone gets the same amount People desire a system based on fairness and social exchange Born to Be Fair

e/FransDeWaal_2011X.mp4 e/FransDeWaal_2011X.mp4 Is reciprocity unique to humans?

Unfairness Underbenefited – Getting less than you deserve – Dissonance Overbenefited – Getting more than you deserve – Guilt Born to Be Fair

Each person does their part and works toward a common goal Prisoner’s dilemma – Forced to choose between competition and cooperation – If one of the pair is not cooperative, then cooperation is typically doomed Communication improves cooperation Cooperation

Prisoner’s Dilemma

Ceasing to feel angry toward or seek retribution against someone who has wronged you If someone wronged you they owe you a debt according to theories of reciprocity, fairness, and equity Forgiveness allows good relationships and cooperation in the future Forgiveness

“Holding on to anger is like swallowing poison and expecting the other person to die” Forgiveness

Following orders from an authority figure – Type of prosocial behavior Conform to rules under authority = help society However: Blind obedience to authority can be destructive (e.g., Nazi Germany) Obedience

Milgram studies(1963) – Participant told it was a “memory test” – Really a test on obedience to authority figure Obedience

The participants were 40 men recruited using newspaper ads. – Each was paid $4.50 Instructed to “shock” learner in other room every time they got on answer wrong on memory test – Shock level increased with each wrong answer Milgram Studies

Fake screams of pain from other room If subject wanted to stop, authority figure would say: 1."Please continue." 2."The experiment requires that you continue." 3."It is absolutely essential that you continue." 4."You have no other choice, you must go on." Milgram Obedience Study

Milgram studies - Today

More than 65% of participants continued memory test and delivered the lethal amount of shocks. Milgram Obedience Study

The physical presence of an authority figure dramatically increased compliance. The fact that the study was sponsored by Yale (a trusted and authoritative academic institution) led many participants to believe that the experiment must be safe. Participants assumed that the experimenter was a competent expert. The shocks were said to be painful, not dangerous. Why did they Obey?

Milgram’s research represented obedience as a negative (negative outcome) Without obedience, society would not function Obedience fosters – Social acceptance – Group life Obedience

Going along with the crowd – Can be prosocial – Conform to social norms more when others are watching – Washing hands in bathroom Conformity

Why Do People Help Others? Who Helps Whom? Bystander Help in Emergencies How Can We Increase Helping? Prosocial Behavior: Doing What’s Best for Others

Egoistic helping – Wanting something in return for helping – Negative state relief theory – Help to reduce your own distress Altruistic helping – Expecting nothing in return for helping – Empathy-altruism hypothesis – Motivated by empathy Why Do People Help Others?

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Elaine would get shocked to induce stress while performing a task (shocked as child) Conditions: High Empathy- told the participant had values similar to their own Low Empathy-told the participant had values very different from their own Easy escape situation-can leave after participant gets shocked twice Difficult escape situation-must watch participant get shocked 10 times Bateson et al. (1981)

Empathy-specific reward hypothesis – Empathy triggers the need for social reward – Ex. Praise, honor, pride Empathy-specific punishment hypothesis – Empathy triggers the fear of social punishment that can be avoided by helping – Ex. Guilt, shame, censure Alternative hypotheses

Is there such a thing as a “selfless good deed”? Or do we always gain some benefit from helping? Is Altruism possible?

Helping others with focus on their benefit (cost to you). WHY? – Feel good about yourself – Innately selfish?? For example: – Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – Largest philanthropic organization in world! – Aims to spend ALL of its $40 billion in the next 100 years Altruism

Prosocial Behavior - Charity

Helpful Personality Similarity – Appearance, social status, group membership Males are more helpful in broader public sphere, toward strangers and in emergencies Females are more helpful in family sphere, toward close relations and in repeated contact Who Helps Whom?

Females are more likely to receive help than males People are more likely to help attractive individuals!!! Evidence from field and lab experiments (Harrell, 1978) Who Helps Whom?

Evolutionary benefits – Kin selection – More likely to help others who share our genes – Life-and-death helping is affected more strongly by genetic relatedness Why Do People Help Others?

Increase Help Behavior by Mimicking

Bystander effect – People less likely to help when they are in the presence of others, and no one else is helping – Example: – Kitty Genovese – 38 witnesses Bystander Helping in Emergencies

Bystander Effect

1. Notice that something is happening 2. Interpret meaning of event – Pluralistic ignorance: – Looking to others for cues about how to behave, while they are looking to you. 3. Taking responsibility for providing help – Diffusion of responsibility – The reduction in feeling responsible that occurs when others are present. Five Steps to Helping

4. Know how to help 5. Provide help – Audience inhibition – Failure to help in front of others for fear of feeling like a fool if one’s offer of help is rejected Five Steps to Helping