Helping
or Hurting
Chapter
9
I. The Nature of Pro-social Behavior
External Factors
Theories of Motivation
Who gives and receives help
Why do people help?
Explaining Bystander Apathy The
bystander effect
Why do some bystanders respond and
others do not in times of emergency?
One must make at least 5 choices
before acting.
1. The bystander must perceive the
emergency.
a. Requires shifting our attention
away from what we are doing
b. Screen out personally irrelevant
sights
c. Preoccupation can inhibit
pro-social acts
2. Correctly Interpreting the Situation as
an Emergency
Assumptions make us look foolish
Wont act unless we are certain we are
witnessing an emergency
When there is ambiguity - Potential
helpers hold back looking for more information
More prone to believing everything is OK
when signals are mixed.
Pluralistic
ignorance
Group reaction from uninformed
bystanders who incorrectly interpret the situation and hold back to avoid being
embarrassed by losing their cool.
Non-responsive group can inhibit
individuals from taking action
3. Assuming the Responsibility to Act
The bystander either does or does not
assume responsibility for taking action.
Responsibility clear in situations where
professionals might be involved. For example: firefighter, policemen, EMT
personnel
Those in leadership are expected to act in
the less clear situations
Diffusion of
responsibility
When multiple witnesses are
present, it is unclear whose responsibility it is to act.
As the number of bystanders
increases, the likelihood of pro-social behavior decreases increases
4. Knowing What To Do
Bystander must discern if they know
how to be helpful.
If bystander possesses knowledge of
how to help, they are more likely to act.
5. Making the
Final Decision to Help
Helping may be inhibited by fears
of negative consequences.
Helping may backfire!
B. Who Gives Help?
1.Those who know what to do
2.Those with a strong need for
approval
3. Have an altruistic personality
The 5 Factors of Altruism
1. Empathy is important part of
self-concept
2. Strong belief in a just world
3. Social Responsibility sets them apart
4. Assume an internal locus of control
5. Helpers are not as egocentric as
non-helpers who are self-absorbed and competitive
C. Who Receives Help
1. Victim characterization determines help
2.
Factors that increase attraction also increase pro-social behavior
3. Those who are similar may
receive help or it may backfire
4. More victim is dependent on
help, more likely they are to receive help
D. Why Does Pro-social Help Occur?
1. People respond so as to maximize
positive affect and minimize negative affect. (Want to make it all better)
2. Greater Positive Affect from helpee =
increased desire to help
3. Helper believes It was the right
thing to do.
4. Observer attributes selfless or selfish
motives equally
Empathy
Unselfish Motive
a. Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis Some
prosocial behavior is motivated by entirely unselfish desire to help someone who
needs help.
b. One values the other persons welfare
c. There is empathy with shared
experiences.
d. If there is a high cost there may be
low empathy
Selfish
Motivation
a. Helping makes one feel better
about themselves
b. Helping because it feels good to
have an impact and make a name for ones self
c. Other
reasons?
II. The Nature of Aggression
A. Contrasting Theories
1. Biological
Theory
a. Biological factors can
predispose individuals to aggression
b. Higher levels of serotonin (too
much) in brain of those attempting suicide makes it difficult to control aggression
2. Social
Learning Theory
a. Aggression is a learned behavior
b. Differing cultures attack others
in differing ways
c. Learn who, what and when to
attack
d. Aggression depends on past
experiences, current information and many variables
3. Cognitive
Theory of Aggression
Your Script will determine how you
respond.
w
Cognitive programs or schemas for
events that are supposed to happen in a given setting
Memories and experiences
Interpretation of the event
reappraisal
Your current mood negative affect
B. Social Determinants of Aggression
(Theories only)
1. Frustration Aggression Hypothesis
prevention of getting what we want
Frustration always leads to some form of
aggression???
Aggression always stems from some form of
frustration???
Frustration is not the only factor
w
Athletic competition
w
Battles
2. Direct provocation
As victims of aggression, we rarely
turn the other cheek
Reciprocate
Escalation depends on response
Cultural factors
3. Exposure to Media Violence
Does exposure increase aggression?
Longitudinal Studies confirm
connection
4. Heightened arousal
1. Excitation transfer theory
w
Transfer of emotions from one event
to another
w
Physiological arousal dissipates
with time
w
Residual arousal some portion
of arousal left
w
Transfer effects occurs when we are
unaware of residual arousal blame current situation
C. Who Aggresses?
1. Type A vs Type B Behavior
Pattern
2. Irritability, rumination and 5
personality dimensions
3. Gender differences
Hostile Aggression
Aggression in which the prime
objective is inflicting some kind of harm on the victim
Instrumental Aggression
Aggression not performed to harm
the victim, but to attain other goals, such as control of valued resources or
praise from others for behaving in a tough manner
5 Dimensions of Personality
Extroversion
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Emotional Stability
Openness to Experiences
Irritability and Rumination
Linked to the Big 5 Dimensions in terms of
agreeability and emotional stability on the hostile end.
Highly aggressive qualities
w
disagreeable, suspicious, hostile,
emotionally over-reactive and unstable
Gender Differences
a. Males more aggressive without provocation
b. Males more apt to use physical aggression
c. Females use indirect forms
D. Preventing Aggression
1. Punishment
2. Cognitive Interventions
3. Training in Social Skills