PSYC 215 Lecture Notes - Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
16 May 2012
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
People who follow these rules are engaging in pro-social behaviour. Whenever someone does something nice to you, it sets up a debt. You feel the need or the pressure to repay the positive gesture. It is argued that this reciprocity norm contributes a great deal to social functioning. This leads to the propagation of pro-social behaviour. You will only feel comfortable taking help if you feel that somehow you will be able to repay it. Often people (minorities, elderly, etc) feel uncomfortable with receiving help because they will be experiencing tension of a debt that they owe that they cannot repay. The idea that you will be receiving benefits in proportion to what you have contributed. We expect that there will be payback for investments. Reciprocitu does not have to be equal, but it must be equitable. Believing that the world around you is fair is important to successful coping and adaptation to stresses.
