Motives for HelpingMotives for Helping

• Altruism: A motive to increase Altruism: A motive to increase another’s welfare without conscious another’s welfare without conscious regard for one’s self interests.regard for one’s self interests.

• Egoism: Helping another as a means Egoism: Helping another as a means to self benefit.to self benefit.

HelpingHelping

• Is this an example of altruism?Is this an example of altruism?– 1. A man puts money in a blind beggar’s 1. A man puts money in a blind beggar’s

tin cup. tin cup. – 2. A mother gives her child a bath. 2. A mother gives her child a bath. – 3. A family hides a political prisoner. 3. A family hides a political prisoner. – 4. A man does the laundry for his family. 4. A man does the laundry for his family.

Empathy-Altruism Model Empathy-Altruism Model (Batson)(Batson)

• Empathy is the compassionate Empathy is the compassionate understanding of how a person in understanding of how a person in need feels.need feels.

• The empathy-altruism model The empathy-altruism model suggests that empathy leads to suggests that empathy leads to altruistic behavior.altruistic behavior.

Measuring EmpathyMeasuring Empathy

• Empathic Concern Scale (Davis, 1983)Empathic Concern Scale (Davis, 1983)

• Reverse items 3,6,9,12,16, 19, 20, 25, 27Reverse items 3,6,9,12,16, 19, 20, 25, 27

• Components of Empathy:Components of Empathy:

• Items 1-7: FantasyItems 1-7: Fantasy

• Items 8-14: Perspective takingItems 8-14: Perspective taking

• Items 15-21: Empathic concern Items 15-21: Empathic concern others others

• Items 22-28: Personal distress Items 22-28: Personal distress self self

Two Paths to Helping Two Paths to Helping BehaviorBehavior

Other person’sdistress

Personal distress

Egoisticmotivation

Behavior (possiblyhelping) to reduce

own distress

EmpathyAltruistic

motivation

Helpingbehavior to reduce

other’s distress

Elaine Study (Batson et al., Elaine Study (Batson et al., 1981)1981)

Dissimiliar Dissimiliar (low (low empathy)empathy)

Similar Similar (high (high empathy)empathy)

Easy EscapeEasy Escape

Difficult Difficult EscapeEscape

Elaine Study (Batson et al., Elaine Study (Batson et al., 1981)1981)

• % of participants % of participants who agreed to help who agreed to help Elaine:Elaine:

Dissimiliar Dissimiliar (low (low empathy)empathy)

Similar Similar (high (high empathy)empathy)

Easy EscapeEasy Escape 18%18% 91%91%

Difficult Difficult EscapeEscape

64%64% 82%82%

Carol Study (Toi & Batson, Carol Study (Toi & Batson, 1982)1982)

• % of participants % of participants who agreed to help who agreed to help Carol:Carol:

Low Low EmpathyEmpathy

High High EmpathyEmpathy

Easy EscapeEasy Escape

Difficult Difficult EscapeEscape

Carol Study (Toi & Batson, Carol Study (Toi & Batson, 1982)1982)

• % of participants % of participants who agreed to help who agreed to help Carol:Carol:

Low Low EmpathyEmpathy

High High EmpathyEmpathy

Easy EscapeEasy Escape 30%30% 70%70%

Difficult Difficult EscapeEscape

70%70% 80%80%

Negative Mood and HelpingNegative Mood and Helping

• Negative State Relief Model- people Negative State Relief Model- people sometimes help others to relieve sometimes help others to relieve their own bad mood (e.g., guilt or their own bad mood (e.g., guilt or sadness).sadness).– Camera Study (Cunningham et al., Camera Study (Cunningham et al.,

1980):1980):•Broken camera group: 80% helpingBroken camera group: 80% helping

•Control group: 40% helpingControl group: 40% helping

Good Mood and HelpingGood Mood and Helping

• From cookies to kindness (Isen & From cookies to kindness (Isen & Levin, 1971)Levin, 1971)– Cookie group: 69 minutesCookie group: 69 minutes– No cookie group: 17 minutesNo cookie group: 17 minutes

• The sweet smell of helping (Baron, The sweet smell of helping (Baron, 1997)1997)– Pleasant smell: 55%Pleasant smell: 55%– Neutral smell: 19%Neutral smell: 19%

Bystander InterventionBystander Intervention

• Darley & Latane’s bystander Darley & Latane’s bystander intervention studies:intervention studies:

• Response to a fellow subject having a Response to a fellow subject having a seizure.seizure.– One bystander: 85% helpedOne bystander: 85% helped– Two bystanders: 62% helpedTwo bystanders: 62% helped– Five bystanders: 31% helpedFive bystanders: 31% helped

• Diffusion of responsibility: the Diffusion of responsibility: the tendency for people to feel that tendency for people to feel that responsibility for acting is shared, or responsibility for acting is shared, or diffused among those presentdiffused among those present

D & L’s model of helpingD & L’s model of helping

• To help, people must:To help, people must:– 1. Notice the incident1. Notice the incident– 2. Interpret it as an emergency2. Interpret it as an emergency– 3. Assume personal responsibility3. Assume personal responsibility– 4. Decide there is something they can 4. Decide there is something they can

do to helpdo to help

• These steps are influences by These steps are influences by situational factors:situational factors:– 1. It took subjects longer to notice smoke in 1. It took subjects longer to notice smoke in

the room in groups than when alonethe room in groups than when alone– 2. Subjects sitting face to face were more 2. Subjects sitting face to face were more

likely to react to an emergency than likely to react to an emergency than subjects sitting back to back.subjects sitting back to back.

– 3. Seizure study3. Seizure study– 4. Subjects who have just failed at a task 4. Subjects who have just failed at a task

are less likely to help.are less likely to help.

Cost/Reward model of Cost/Reward model of helpinghelping• Besides D & L’s four stages, people also Besides D & L’s four stages, people also

consider the costs and rewards they might consider the costs and rewards they might experience if they help or do not help.experience if they help or do not help.

• Subway studies (Piliavin):Subway studies (Piliavin):– Do people on a subway train help when Do people on a subway train help when

someone collapses?someone collapses?• Ss help a man with a cane more than one smelling of Ss help a man with a cane more than one smelling of

liquorliquor

• Ss help a victim that simply collapses more than one Ss help a victim that simply collapses more than one who is bleedingwho is bleeding

Factors that influence Factors that influence helpinghelping• Situational:Situational:

– Number of bystanders presentNumber of bystanders present– Costs & rewards of helpingCosts & rewards of helping– Being in a hurryBeing in a hurry– Social validation/conformitySocial validation/conformity– ConsistencyConsistency– AuthorityAuthority– ReciprocityReciprocity– FriendshipFriendship

Personal:

Empathy

Mood