Helping and Altruism

8/18/2019 Helping and Altruism

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Learning O!ecti"es

#etermine t$e %a&di'erences et(eenaltruism and $elping and%& e)plain $o(social

ps*c$ologists tr* to di'erentiate t$e t(o.+e"ie( t$e roles o reciprocit* and social

e)c$ange in $elping.

#escrie t$e e"olutionar* actors t$at

in-uence $elping.ummarie $o( t$e perceptions o

re(ards and costs in-uence $elping.


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Learning O!ecti"es

Outline t$e social norms t$atin-uence $elping.


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#enition/Altruism

Altruism reers to an* e$a"ior t$at isdesigned to increase anot$er persons(elare, and particularl* t$ose actions

t$at do not seem to pro"ide a directre(ard to t$e person ($o perormst$em 3atson, 20114 #o"idio, Pilia"in,

c$roeder, 5 Penner, 20064 Penner,#o"idio, Pilia"in, 5 c$roeder,

2007


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Altruism

E"er* da* t$ere are numerous acts o$elping t$at occur all around us. As (e(ill see, some o t$ese represent true

altruism, ($ereas ot$er represent$elping t$at is moti"ated more * sel8concern. And o course, t$ere are also

times ($en (e do not $elp at all,seeming to not care aout t$e needso ot$ers.


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Helping

Helping is strongl* in-uenced *a'ecti"e "ariales. 9ndeed, t$e

parts o t$e rain t$at are mostin"ol"ed in empat$*, altruism, and$elping are t$e am*gdala and t$e

prerontal corte), areas t$at areresponsile or emotion andemotion regulation.


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9n an e"olutionar* sense t$esur"i"al o t$e indi"idual is less

important t$an t$e sur"i"al o t$eindi"iduals genes =cAndre(,20027


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Helping

el*

to increase tness, e passed on tosuse?uent generations, andecome part o $uman nature.


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Helping

9 (e are altruistic in part to $elpus pass on our genes, t$en (e

s$ould e particularl* li>el* tr* tocare or and to $elp our relati"es.+esearc$ $as ound t$at (e are

indeed particularl* $elpul to our>in =adsen et al., 200@4 te(art8illiams, 200@7.


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3urnstein, Brandall, and :ita*ama1CCD7 as>ed students in t$e nitedtates and apan to report $o( t$e*

(ould respond to a "ariet* osituations in ($ic$ someone needed$elp. e and t$e $elping in"ol"ed a lot oe'ort, time, and danger,


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t$e* (ould e more li>el* to $elpa person ($o (as closel* related

to t$em or instance, a siling,parent, or c$ild7 t$an t$e* (oulde to $elp a person ($o (as more

distantl* related or e)ample, aniece, nep$e(, uncle, orgrandmot$er7.


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People are more li>el* to donate>idne*s to relati"es t$an to

strangers 3orgida, Bonner, 5=anteuel, 1CC27, and e"enc$ildren indicate t$at t$e* are

more li>el* to $elp t$eir silingst$an t$e* are to $elp a riend 5 ,1CC67.


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Our reactions to ot$ers are in-uenced not onl** our genetic relations$ip to t$em ut also *t$eir

percei"ed similarit* to us. e $elp riends moret$an (e $elp strangers, (e $elp memers oour ingroups more t$an (e $elp memers ooutgroups, and (e $elp people ($o are more

similar to us more generall* #o"idio et al.,1CC@4 :rupp, #e3ruine, 5 3arcla*, 200G4turmer, n*der, :ropp, 5 iem, 20067.


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9t is ?uite possile t$at similarit* isan important determinant o

$elping ecause (e use it as amar>eralt$oug$ not a perectonet$at people s$are genes (it$

us Par> 5 c$aller, 2004 IanIugt 5 Ian Lange, 20067.


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Bialdini, 3ro(n, Le(is, Luce, andNeuerg 1CC@7 J11K $a"e

proposed t$at it is t$e sense opercei"ed similarit*t$e sense ooneness et(een t$e $elper

and t$e indi"idual in needt$atmoti"ates most $elping.


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+eciprocit* and ocialE)c$ange

Alt$oug$ it seems logical t$at (e(ould $elp people (e are related to

or t$ose (e percei"e as similar tous, ($* (ould (e e"er $elp peopleto ($om (e are not related; One

e)planation or suc$ e$a"ior isased on t$e principle o reciprocalaltruism


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+eciprocal altruism is t$e idea t$at,i (e $elp ot$er people no(, t$e*(ill return t$e a"or s$ould (e needt$eir $elp in t$e uture. 3* $elpingot$ers, (e ot$ increase ourc$ances o sur"i"al and reproducti"esuccess and $elp ot$ers increaset$eir c$ances o sur"i"al too.


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O"er t$e course o e"olution,t$ose ($o engage in reciprocal

altruism s$ould e ale toreproduce more oten t$an t$ose($o do not, t$us enaling t$is

>ind o altruism to continue.


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+eciprocal altruism means t$atpeople e"en ma* $elp total

strangers, ased on t$eassumption t$at doing so is useulecause it ma* lead ot$ers to $elp

t$em in t$e uture.


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One act t$at mig$t $elp con"ince*ou t$at altruism is in act

e"olutionaril* adapti"e is t$atman* animals also engage inreciprocal altruism. 3irds emit an

alarm to near* irds to (arnt$em o a predator e"en at apotential cost to t$emsel"es.


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#olp$ins ma* support sic> orin!ured animals * s(imming

under t$em and pus$ing t$em tot$e surace so t$e* can reat$e.=ale aoons t$reaten predators

and guard t$e rear o t$e troop asit retreats.


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=ale aoons t$reaten predatorsand guard t$e rear o t$e troop as

it retreats. And e"en ats $a"e audd* s*stem in ($ic$ a at t$at$as $ad a successul nig$t o

eeding (ill regurgitate ood or itsless ortunate companionil>inson, 1CC07.


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=ale aoons t$reaten predatorsand guard t$e rear o t$e troop as

it retreats. And e"en ats $a"e audd* s*stem in ($ic$ a at t$at$as $ad a successul nig$t o

eeding (ill regurgitate ood or itsless ortunate companionil>inson, 1CC07.


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at ($ic$ point t$e* come toget$erand orm a multicellular organism

in ($ic$ some o t$e cells sacricet$emsel"es to promote t$esur"i"al o ot$er cells in t$e

organism. Altruism, t$en, is trul*all around us.


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+eciprocal altruism is one e)ampleo t$e general principle o social

e)c$ange. e re?uentl* use eac$ot$er to gain re(ards and to $elpprotect oursel"es rom $arm, and

$elping is one t*pe o enet t$at(e can pro"ide to ot$ers.


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9n some cases t$is e)c$angere-ects o"ert cooperation, suc$ as

($en t(o studentsta>e notes or eac$ ot$er inclasses t$at t$e* miss or ($en

neig$ors care or eac$ ot$erspets ($ile one o t$em is a(a*.


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9n ot$er cases t$e e)c$ange ma*e more sutle and indirect, or

instance, ($en (e $elp someone(e dont reall* >no(, (it$ t$ee)pectation t$at someone else

ma* $elp us in return someda*.


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ocial +einorcement andAltruismM

The Role of Rewards and Costs:

Alt$oug$ t$ere continues to e a li"el*deate (it$in t$e social ps*c$ological

literature aout t$e relati"econtriutions o eac$ actor, it is cleart$at $elping is ot$ part o our asic

$uman iological nature and also in partlearned t$roug$ our social e)periences(it$ ot$er people 3atson, 2011).


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el* to $elp ($en t$e* recei"ere(ards or doing so. Parentscertainl* realie t$isc$ildren ($o

s$are t$eir to*s (it$ ot$ers arepraised, ($ereas t$ose ($o actmore sels$l* are reprimanded.


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And researc$ $as ound t$at (eare more li>el* to $elp attracti"e

rat$er t$an unattracti"e people ot$e ot$er se) Farrell*, Laarus, 5+oerts, 200@7 Jagain proal*

ecause it is re(arding to do so.


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#arle* and 3atson 1C@7 demonstratedt$e e'ect o t$e costs o $elping in aparticularl* stri>ing (a*. ed

students in a religious seminar* to preparea speec$ or presentation to ot$erstudents. According to random assignmentto conditions, one $al o t$e seminarians

prepared a tal> on t$e parale

o t$e altruistic ood amaritan4


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t$e ot$er $al prepared a tal> ont$e !os t$at seminar* students

li>e est. on t$e oodamaritan (ould prime t$e

concept o eing $elpul or t$esestudents.


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t$at t$e* (ere rig$t on time, or t$at

s$ould $urr* ecause t$e* (erealread* running late. On t$e (a* to t$eot$er uilding, t$e students all passeda person in apparent distress actuall*researc$ conederate7 ($o (as

slumped in a door(a*, coug$ing andgroaning, and clearl* in need o $elp.


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Helping

#arle* and 3atson ound t$at t$etopic o t$e upcoming speec$ did

not $a"e a signicant impact on$elping.


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Qou can see t$at t$is is e)actl*($at (ould e e)pected on t$e

asis o t$e principles o socialreinorcement($en (e $a"emore time to $elp, t$en $elping is

less costl* and (e are more li>el*to do it.


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O course, not all $elping is e?uall*costl*. e care o a "er* ill person.


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3ecause $elping strangers isparticularl* costl*, some European

countries $a"e enacted oodamaritan la(s t$at increase t$ecosts o not $elping ot$ers.


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For instance, t$e current la( inBaliornia states, No person ($o in

good ait$, and not orcompensation, renders emergenc*care at t$e scene o an emergenc*

s$all e liale or an* ci"ildamages resulting rom an* act oromission.


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9n act, alt$oug$ people re?uentl* (orr*aout t$e

negati"e impact o t$e "iolence t$at is seen

on


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Iie(ing positi"e role modelspro"ides ideas aout (a*s to e$elpul to ot$ers and gi"es usinormation aout appropriate$elping e$a"iors. +esearc$ $asound a strong correlation et(een"ie(ing $elpul

e$a"ior on


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Hearold 1CG07 concluded on t$e asis oa meta8anal*sis t$at (atc$ing altruismon


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3ut !ust as "ie(ing altruism canincrease $elping, modeling oe$a"ior t$at is not altruistic candecrease altruism. Anderson and3us$man 20017 ound t$at

pla*ing "iolent "ideo games led toa decrease in $elping.


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$en (e act altruisticall*, (e gaina reputation as a person (it$ $ig$status ($o is ale and (illing to$elp ot$ers, and t$is status ma>esus etter and more desirale in

t$e e*es o ot$ers.


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Hard* and Ian Iugt 20067 ound

t$at ot$ men and (omen (eremore li>el* to ma>e cooperati"e

rat$er t$an competiti"e c$oices ingames t$at t$e* pla*ed (it$ ot$ers($en t$eir responses (ere pulic

rat$er t$an pri"ate. Furt$ermore,($en t$e participants made t$eircooperati"e c$oices in pulic,


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Furt$ermore, ($en t$e participantsmade t$eir cooperati"e c$oices inpulic, t$e participants ($o $adeen more cooperati"e (ere also !udged * t$e ot$er pla*ers as$a"ing $ig$er social status t$an(ere t$e participants ($o $adeen less cooperati"e.


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Finall*, $elpers are $ealt$*U+esearc$ $as ound t$at people($o $elp are $appier and e"enli"e longer t$an t$ose ($o are less$elpul 3ro(n, Nesse, Iino>ur, 5

mit$, 2007.


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+e'erences

3atson, B. #. 20117. Altruism in $umans.Ne( Qor>, NQM O)ord ni"ersit* Press4#o"idio, . F., Pilia"in, . A.,

c$roeder, #. A., 5 Penner, L. 20067.


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+eerences

2K Lieerman, =. #. 20107. ocialcogniti"e neuroscience. 9n . e, #. o social ps*c$olog*t$ ed., Iol. 1, pp. 1DV1C7. Hoo>en,NM o$n ile* 5 ons.

JK =cAndre(, F.


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+eerences

t$eories. Burrent #irections inPs*c$ological cience, 1127, @CVG2.

JDK =adsen, E. A., in, H. B., #unar, +.9. =., +ic$ardson, .8=., 5 =cFarland, #.

200@7. :ins$ip and altruismM A cross8

cultural e)perimental stud*. 3ritis$ ournal o Ps*c$olog*, CG27, CVC4

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Helping and Altruism