Download - Social Norms and Helping
Social Norms and Helping
• Norm of Reciprocity - We feel obligated to help people who have helped us.
Norm of Reciprocity and Helping
• Norm of Reciprocity - We feel obligated to help people who have helped us.
• Qualified by Norm of Equity - The overbenefited should help the underbenefited
• Norm of Social Responsibility - We should help those who need us.
• Qualified by Norm of Justice - We should help those who deserve it.
Social Norms and Helping (Cont.)
Good Mood and Helping
• People in a good mood are more likely to help• The cookie study• The dime in the phone booth study• One catch it wears off quickly
Good Mood and Helping(Wears Off with Time)
• How does it work• Positive thoughts• Mood maintenance
Good Mood and Helping
Bad Mood and Helping
• People in a bad mood are also more likely to help• Guilt in particular seems to motivate helping
• The Lie Study• Other bad moods also increase helping
(sometimes)• Helping boosts people’s mood
• But if mood is improved in another way bad mood doesn’t improve helping
• It doesn’t workfor children• Suggests that helping provides an internal
gratification
Empathy and Helping
• Other’s distress leads to two emotional responses• one’s own distress• empathy - compassion for the other person
• This leads to two motivations• motive to reduce own’s own distress• motive to help the other person
• This leads to two behavioral responses• attempt to reduce own’s distress - leave• attempt to help the other person - stay
Batson, Duncan, Ackerman, Buckley, & Birch (1981) Experiment
• The Setup • Confederate receiving shock• Participant observing
• The Independent Variables• Increased empathy with the victim• Opportunity to leave the experiment
• The findings
Results of Batson, et al., 1981
Empathy and HelpingSummary of Batson’s Model
Schaller & Cialdini (1988) - A Challenge to Batson’s Model
• The Setup -• Participants listened to a tape supposedly
from a fellow student in need of help.• The Independent variable -
• Increased empathy with the victim• They expected to listen to neutral or mood-
enhancing information, or be given the opportunity to help
• The results -
Schaller & Cialdini (1988) results
So, Are We Altruistic or Not?
• Cialdini and colleagues argue that an egoistic interpretation cannot be ruled out.
• Nevertheless, it seems that crass egoism can be distinguished from helping that is at least partially motivated by the desire to help the other.