Personal Factors: Empathy, Mood, Competence and Altruism.Chapter 10, pp. 424-429

Personal Factors Need to investigate if there are specific

personal characteristics that make some people more likely to engage in pro-social behaviours.

Research has shown that an ability to empathise, our mood when help is needed and whether we feel competent to give the help that is required.

Empathy The ability to identify with and

understand another person’s feelings or difficulties.

Empathetic people tend to feel the distress of others, feel concern for them and can imagine what it must be like to need help.

Batson and Colleagues (1995) Empathetic people may help others in

distress for egoistic (selfish) reasons, such as wanting to get rid of the feeling of distress.

Or they may try to leave the situation in order to get away from the distress situation.

Batson and Collegues (1981) When empathetic concern is high, most

people help regardless of whether they are able to leave the situation.

When empathetic concern is low, fewer people helped when they were able to leave the situation, but they helped if they were unable to leave.

Mood A good mood will

increase the likelihood of pro-social behaviour occurring

A bad mood will either increase or decease likelihood of pro-social behaviour occurring.

Mood Helping makes people feel good which can help

people maintain a good mood.

Helping can also help people escape from a bad mood, especially if the person is experiencing guilt, then helping makes them feel better about themselves.

However, if the bad mood is self-focused (grief, depression etc.) then people are less likely to help.

Competence People with abilities or

training which are relevant to the situation are more likely to help.

However, untrained people may assist through indirect help, such as calling for assistance.

E.g. Rescue someone who is drowning, helper needs to be a strong swimmer.

Task 1. Learning Activity 10.7 Complete review

questions:1A1B2A3A

Page 429

Altruism Pro-social behaviour

focused on the wellbeing or benefit of others without any concern for personal gain or reward.

The act of helping is totally selfless.

May involve risking one’s own life to help another's.

But… does altruistic behaviour truly exist? Some Psychologists

contend that there is always an underlying selfish motivation to help people.

E.g. To impress others or to feel better about ourselves.

Task 2. Debate ‘Read Altruism: A test of your

spirit’ as a class. Page431 of the textbook.

Is it possible that bystanders in each situation may have had an ‘underlying selfish’ motive.

One half of the class will be for and one half will be against.

Take notes from your group discussion and we will debate the topic as a class.

Reflection In your own

opinion, do you believe it is possible to be truly altruistic?