PSY220H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Wesley Autrey, Kin Selection, Norm (Social)
Document Summary
Any act performed with the goal of benefiting another person. Can be motivated by selfish or selfless reasons. The desire to help another person, even if it involves a cost to the helper. Less advantageous for children to help their parents. Behaviour that helps a genetic relative is favoured by natural selection. Note that people do not go around computing the likelihood of passing on their genes. Adaptive for individuals to learn social norms from other members of society. Because of this, the ability to learn social norms has become part of our genetic make up. The value of helping others is one social norm that has become ingrained. Supportive connections, information flow, trust, and cooperative actions. Most effective as people respond publicly to deeds earlier done to them. Still cannot explain why stranger help others when genetic relatedness or reciprocity cannot be established or assumed. Depends on the attributions that we make for people"s circumstances.
