Altruism and pro-social behavior
Dr Alex Hunt
Clinical psychologist
• 1. selflessness: an attitude or way of behaving
marked by unselfish concern for the welfare of
others
2. belief in acting for others' good: the belief that
acting for the benefit of others is right and good
[Mid-19th century. < French altruisme< Italian
altrui "that which belongs to other people" <
Latin alter "other"]
Pro-Social Behaviors
• Schroeder 1995 - Helping, comforting, cooperating, sharing, re-assuring, defending, charity
concern
• Acts that unintentionally help others not
altruism, those that intend to help, but don’t
count as altruism
• Altruism -self sacrificial costs absence of obvious
external rewards (Bateson,1980)
Does Altruism exist?
• Does true altruism exist?- theory of universal egoism
people are fundamentally selfish
• McDougal-sympathetic instincts are responsible for
altruism
• Socio-biologists argue that altruism is an act of
selfishness in disguise
• All acts motivated by self benefit, however subtle?
Kitty Genovese
• Murder of Kitty Genovese open the floodgates
to research into altruism and bystander
intervention…
Video
Bystander apathy
• Diffucion of reponsibility:
• More people around the assumption is
someone else will do something
• Situational cues
Decision model of bystander
intervention
• Latene and Darley (1970)
• Steps or decisions to helping others:
– Notice that something is wrong
– Define it as a situation requiring help
– Decide whether to take personal responsibility
– Decide what help to give
– Implement the decision to help
Factors affecting bystander
intervention
• Pluralistic Ignorance
– Accepting personal responsibility or diffusing
responsibility
– Study –epileptic man
– Explanation for bystander apathy
• Role of Competence
– In the presence of people you believe to be more
competent there is an increase of diffusion of
responsibility,
– Eg lifeguard
Arousal cost reward model (ACR)
(also social exchange theory)
• Economic view of human behaviour
• Pilliavin (1969)
• Two conceptually distinct but functionally
interdependent influences on helping:
– Arousal – in response to the need or distress of
others; emotional response, motivated to reduce it
– Cost reward – cognitive component where bystanders
assess the anticipated costs and rewards associated
with both helping or not helping
ACR
• Model states that people who feel emotional
arousal in relation to a persons situation are
motivated to reduce the arousal, incurring as
few costs as possible
• Emotion provides the motivation to do
something
• Cognitive component determines most
efficient or effective response
Cost reward analysis
• Costs of helping
– Lost time, effort, physical danger, embarrassment,
disruption of activity, psychological aversion
• Rewards of helping
– Fame, gratitude of victim and relatives, pleasure and
self satisfaction, avoidance of guilt, money!
• Costs of not helping
– Guilt and blame from others, internal shame and guilt,
cognitive emotional consequences of leaving
someone suffering
Cost analysis
Costs of helping low
Costs of not helping high
Likelihood of intervention:
Very high and direct
Costs of helping high
Costs of not helping high
Likelihood of intervention:
fairly high but indirect
or redefine the situation
Costs of helping high
Costs of not helping low
Likelihood of intervention:
Very low
Costs of helping low
Costs of not helping low
Likelihood of intervention:
fairly high
Cost reward analysis
• Costs for not helping affect intervention when
the costs for helping are low
• High cost for helping vs. high cost for not
helping dilemma – cognitive reinterpretation
– Redefine the situation as one not requiring help
– Diffusing responsibility
– Denigrating, blaming the victim
Victim influences
• More likely to help those similar to ourselves
• Racisits who would be exposed as such don’t
discriminate, but where their decision not to
help can be blamed on another factor they
then discriminate
• Attributions important: is the person
responsible for their predicament? (Drunk vs
blind person)
Empathic altruism
• Some altruism not egotistically motivated
• Some altruism is empathetic with the genuine
motivation to help others
• More empathic emotion: sympathy, concern,
tenderness, more the altruistic desire to
relieve victims suffering
• self orientated emotions: discomfort, anxiety,
upset  egotistic desire to reduce own
distress
Paradox of altruism
• Some behaviour which is altruistic exposes
self to greater risk: goes against survival of the
fittest –
– rabbit thumping foot to warn of predator
• For the greater good; benefit the group,
particularly kin
• Increase likelihood of others helping you in
furture