1. Motives for Helping Altruism: A motive to increase another’s welfare without conscious regard for one’s self interests. Altruism: A motive to increase another’s welfare without conscious regard for one’s self interests. Egoism: Helping another as a means to self benefit. Egoism: Helping another as a means to self benefit.

2. Helping Is this an example of altruism? Is this an example of altruism? –1. A man puts money in a blind beggar’s tin cup. –2. A mother gives her child a bath. –3. A family hides a political prisoner. –4. A man does the laundry for his family.

3. Empathy-Altruism Model (Batson) Empathy is the compassionate understanding of how a person in need feels. Empathy is the compassionate understanding of how a person in need feels. The empathy-altruism model suggests that empathy leads to altruistic behavior. The empathy-altruism model suggests that empathy leads to altruistic behavior.

4. Measuring Empathy Empathic Concern Scale (Davis, 1983) Empathic Concern Scale (Davis, 1983) Reverse items 3,6,9,12,16, 19, 20, 25, 27 Reverse items 3,6,9,12,16, 19, 20, 25, 27 Components of Empathy: Components of Empathy: Items 1-7: Fantasy Items 1-7: Fantasy Items 8-14: Perspective taking Items 8-14: Perspective taking Items 15-21: Empathic concern  others Items 15-21: Empathic concern  others Items 22-28: Personal distress  self Items 22-28: Personal distress  self

5. Two Paths to Helping Behavior Other person’s distress Personal distress Egoistic motivation Behavior (possibly helping) to reduce own distress Empathy Altruistic motivation Helping behavior to reduce other’s distress

6. Elaine Study (Batson et al., 1981) Dissimiliar (low empathy) Similar (high empathy) Easy Escape Difficult Escape

7. Elaine Study (Batson et al., 1981) % of participants who agreed to help Elaine: % of participants who agreed to help Elaine: Dissimiliar (low empathy) Similar (high empathy) Easy Escape 18%91% Difficult Escape 64%82%

8. Carol Study (Toi & Batson, 1982) % of participants who agreed to help Carol: % of participants who agreed to help Carol: Low Empathy High Empathy Easy Escape Difficult Escape

9. Carol Study (Toi & Batson, 1982) % of participants who agreed to help Carol: % of participants who agreed to help Carol: Low Empathy High Empathy Easy Escape 30%70% Difficult Escape 70%80%

10. Negative Mood and Helping Negative State Relief Model- people sometimes help others to relieve their own bad mood (e.g., guilt or sadness). Negative State Relief Model- people sometimes help others to relieve their own bad mood (e.g., guilt or sadness). –Camera Study (Cunningham et al., 1980): Broken camera group: 80% helping Broken camera group: 80% helping Control group: 40% helping Control group: 40% helping

11. Good Mood and Helping From cookies to kindness (Isen & Levin, 1971) From cookies to kindness (Isen & Levin, 1971) –Cookie group: 69 minutes –No cookie group: 17 minutes The sweet smell of helping (Baron, 1997) The sweet smell of helping (Baron, 1997) –Pleasant smell: 55% –Neutral smell: 19%

12. Bystander Intervention Darley & Latane’s bystander intervention studies: Darley & Latane’s bystander intervention studies: Response to a fellow subject having a seizure. Response to a fellow subject having a seizure. –One bystander: 85% helped –Two bystanders: 62% helped –Five bystanders: 31% helped

13. Diffusion of responsibility: the tendency for people to feel that responsibility for acting is shared, or diffused among those present Diffusion of responsibility: the tendency for people to feel that responsibility for acting is shared, or diffused among those present

14. D & L’s model of helping To help, people must: To help, people must: –1. Notice the incident –2. Interpret it as an emergency –3. Assume personal responsibility –4. Decide there is something they can do to help

15. These steps are influences by situational factors: These steps are influences by situational factors: –1. It took subjects longer to notice smoke in the room in groups than when alone –2. Subjects sitting face to face were more likely to react to an emergency than subjects sitting back to back. –3. Seizure study –4. Subjects who have just failed at a task are less likely to help.

16. Cost/Reward model of helping Besides D & L’s four stages, people also consider the costs and rewards they might experience if they help or do not help. Besides D & L’s four stages, people also consider the costs and rewards they might experience if they help or do not help. Subway studies (Piliavin): Subway studies (Piliavin): –Do people on a subway train help when someone collapses? Ss help a man with a cane more than one smelling of liquor Ss help a man with a cane more than one smelling of liquor Ss help a victim that simply collapses more than one who is bleeding Ss help a victim that simply collapses more than one who is bleeding

17. Factors that influence helping Situational: Situational: –Number of bystanders present –Costs & rewards of helping –Being in a hurry –Social validation/conformity –Consistency –Authority –Reciprocity –Friendship Personal: Empathy Mood