Psychology / Unit 10: Social Psychology
10.6 Helping Behavior and Aggression
Notes
- Prosocial behavior is acting to help others. Altruism is helping without expecting a reward.
- Bystander effect: people are less likely to help when others are present, due to diffusion of responsibility. The Kitty Genovese case inspired Darley and Latané's studies.
- Steps to help: notice, interpret as an emergency, take responsibility, know how to help, act.
- To get help from a crowd, point to one person and give a specific request ("You in the blue jacket, call 911").
- Reciprocity norm: we tend to return favors. Social-responsibility norm: we help those who need it.
- Aggression can be learned (Bandura) and increased by frustration, provocation and heat.
Practice
Why are people less likely to help in an emergency when many others are present?
Each person assumes someone else will help.
Helping a stranger anonymously with no expectation of reward is:
Altruism is selfless helping.
If you need help in a crowd, which request is most likely to work?
Specific requests reduce diffusion of responsibility.
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