IB Psychology Prosocial Behavior Notes

Prosocial Behavior: Why We Help Others

1. Prosocial behavior refers to voluntary actions intended to benefit others, such as helping, sharing, or comforting.
2. Altruism is a specific type of prosocial behavior where the helper expects no personal gain.

Theories Explaining Prosocial Behavior

1. Empathy-Altruism Theory
   1. Proposed by Batson: empathy drives people to help others selflessly.
   2. When we feel empathic concern for someone, we help even when it costs us.

1. Kin Selection Theory
   1. An evolutionary theory: people are more likely to help those who share their genes.
   2. Helping relatives increases the chances of genetic survival, even at personal cost.

1. Social Exchange Theory
   1. Helping is driven by a cost-benefit analysis: people help when rewards outweigh costs.
   2. Rewards may include feeling good or social approval. Costs include time, effort, or risk.

1. Bystanderism
   1. Bystanderism refers to the phenomenon where people are less likely to help when others are present.
   2. Often explained by diffusion of responsibility: each person assumes someone else will act.

Factors Influencing Prosocial Behavior

1. Situational Factors
   1. Time Pressure: People are less likely to help when in a hurry.
   2. Ambiguity: Unclear situations reduce the likelihood of helping.

1. Personal Factors
   1. Mood: People in a good mood are more likely to help.
   2. Empathy: Higher levels of empathy increase the likelihood of helping.

1. Cultural Factors
   1. Collectivist cultures emphasise group harmony and are more likely to encourage helping.
   2. Individualist cultures focus on personal goals, which may reduce prosocial behavior.

Evaluation

1. Empathy-Altruism Theory
   1. Strength: Supported by experimental evidence; explains genuine selfless helping.
   2. Limitation: May not explain all helping behavior; critics argue empathic concern may still be self-serving (negative state relief).
2. Kin Selection Theory
   1. Strength: Explains helping among relatives; supported by real-world evidence (Sime, 1983).
   2. Limitation: Struggles to explain non-kin altruism, such as helping strangers in emergencies.
3. Social Exchange Theory
   1. Strength: Accounts for self-interested helping; has practical predictive value.
   2. Limitation: Ignores true altruism; assumes humans always act rationally.
4. Methodological Considerations
   1. Ecological Validity: Many studies use artificial settings, which may not reflect real-world behavior.
   2. Ethical Concerns: Some experiments involve deception or induced distress, raising issues of informed consent.
5. Applications
   1. Understanding prosocial behavior informs interventions such as empathy training and public awareness campaigns.
   2. Cultural insights can guide policies to promote prosocial behavior across diverse societies.