Explaining prosocial Explaining prosocial behavior: Why do people behavior: Why do people

help?help?

Michał WartońMichał Wartoń

Prosocial behaviorProsocial behavior

It is a helpful action It is a helpful action that benefits other that benefits other people without people without necessarily providing necessarily providing any direct benefits to any direct benefits to the person performing the person performing the act, and may even the act, and may even involve a risk for the involve a risk for the person who helps.person who helps.

Motives for prosocial behavior:Motives for prosocial behavior:

Unselfish motivesUnselfish motives

1.1. „„It was the right thing It was the right thing to do”to do”

2.2. „„That was the way my That was the way my parents rised me”parents rised me”

3.3. „„The Lord put me The Lord put me there for a reasonthere for a reason””

Selfish motivesSelfish motives

1.1. Hope for a rewardHope for a reward

2.2. Prospect of being Prospect of being rewarded by spending rewarded by spending all eternity in heavenall eternity in heaven

FOUR MAJOR THEORIESFOUR MAJOR THEORIESthat attempt to explain prosocial motivationthat attempt to explain prosocial motivation

Empathy-Altruism HypothesisEmpathy-Altruism HypothesisNegative-State Relief ModelNegative-State Relief ModelEmpathic Joy HypothesisEmpathic Joy Hypothesis

Genetic Determinism ModelGenetic Determinism Model

Empathy-Altruism HypothesisEmpathy-Altruism Hypothesis

It is the proposal that prosocial behavior is It is the proposal that prosocial behavior is motivated solely by the desire to help motivated solely by the desire to help someone in need (Batson & Oleson, someone in need (Batson & Oleson, 1991).1991).

Person observes emergency

Empathy is aroused

Person provides help simply because victim needs help

and because it feels good to provide help

Empathy-Altruism HypothesisEmpathy-Altruism Hypothesis

„„It feels good to do good”It feels good to do good” Motivated solely by unselfish desire Motivated solely by unselfish desire Willing to engage in unpleasant, dangerous, Willing to engage in unpleasant, dangerous,

and even life-threating activityand even life-threating activity Truly valueTruly value Experimental procedure by Batson and his Experimental procedure by Batson and his

colleguescollegues1.1. Low empathyLow empathy

2.2. High empathyHigh empathy

Empathy avoidanceEmpathy avoidance

Most individuals seek Most individuals seek to avoid empathy to avoid empathy aroused, thus aroused, thus avoiding the need to avoiding the need to engage in something engage in something difficultdifficult

Shaw, Batson & Shaw, Batson & Todd’ s research Todd’ s research (1994)(1994)

Empathy and selective altruismEmpathy and selective altruismA person with resources can be motivated by:A person with resources can be motivated by:

egoism („First you take care of number one”)egoism („First you take care of number one”) empathy (directed at a single group member – empathy (directed at a single group member –

selective altruism for an individual who arouses selective altruism for an individual who arouses person’s emotions).person’s emotions).

Negative-State Relief ModelNegative-State Relief Model

It is the proposal that prosocial behavior is It is the proposal that prosocial behavior is motivated by the bystander’s desire to motivated by the bystander’s desire to reduce his or her own uncomfortable reduce his or her own uncomfortable negative emotions (Cialdini, Baumann & negative emotions (Cialdini, Baumann & Kenrick, 1981).Kenrick, 1981).

Person observes

emergency

Negative affect is aroused by the emergency situation, or person is experiencing negative affect based on

something else

Peron provides help in order to reduce

own negative affect and make the helper

feel better

Emphatic Joy HypothesisEmphatic Joy Hypothesis

It is the proposal that prosocial behavior is It is the proposal that prosocial behavior is motivated by the positive emotion a helper motivated by the positive emotion a helper anticipates experiencing as the result of anticipates experiencing as the result of having a beneficial impact on the life of having a beneficial impact on the life of someone in need (Smith, Keating & someone in need (Smith, Keating & Stotland, 1989).Stotland, 1989).

Person observes emergency

Situation leads to desire to act and to have positive effect

on the victim

Person provides help In order to engage in an

activity that has successful outcome making the helper

feel good

Short summary:Short summary: Based on emotionsBased on emotions Affective state as a Affective state as a

crucial elementcrucial element Increase affect & Increase affect &

decrease negative affectdecrease negative affect Feeling good & feeling Feeling good & feeling

less badless bad Helper’s high Helper’s high

Depending on the specific Depending on the specific circumstances, each of circumstances, each of the three models can the three models can make accurate make accurate predictions about how predictions about how people will respondpeople will respond..

Genetic Determinism ModelGenetic Determinism Model

It is the proposal that behavior is driven by It is the proposal that behavior is driven by genetic attributes that evolved because genetic attributes that evolved because they enhanced the probability of they enhanced the probability of transmitting one’s genes to subsequent transmitting one’s genes to subsequent generations (Pinker, 1998)generations (Pinker, 1998)

Person observes

emergency

Unconscious desire to help occurs if the

person perceives the victim to be genetically

similar to himself or herself

Person provides help in order to maximize the chances of survival of

genes that are like those of the observer

Genetic Determinism ModelGenetic Determinism Model

We simply do so because we are built that wayWe simply do so because we are built that way Human is programmed with respect to:Human is programmed with respect to:

• HelpHelp• PrejudicePrejudice• AttractionAttraction• Mate selectionMate selection

Clutton- Brock explanation to selective perceptionClutton- Brock explanation to selective perception Both empathy and prosocial acts depend on the Both empathy and prosocial acts depend on the

similarity between victim and bystandersimilarity between victim and bystander No evidence of a gene that determines prosocial No evidence of a gene that determines prosocial

behaviorbehavior

SummarizingSummarizing

We respond to the needs We respond to the needs of others on the basis of a of others on the basis of a variety of motives. variety of motives. Regardless of the Regardless of the underlying reason for any underlying reason for any specific prosocial specific prosocial response, it can be response, it can be agreed that one very agreed that one very positive aspect of human positive aspect of human behavior is that we behavior is that we frequently are willing to frequently are willing to help those in need.help those in need.

Thank You