PSYCH253 Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: Circular Reasoning, Natural Disaster, Compassion Fatigue
4 Sep 2013
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Altruism- a motive to increase another"s welfare without conscious regard for one"s self-interests. Social-exchange theory- the theory that human interactions are transactions that aim to maximize one"s rewards and minimize one"s costs. Implies that a helpful act is never truly altruistic. Rewards may be internal (increase sense of self-worth) or external (donate money to improve image) Doing good or donating money triggers the reward center in the brain. Why else would she volunteer? egoism- a motive (supposedly underlying all behaviour) to increase your own welfare. The opposite of altruism, which aims to increase somebody else"s welfare. People will do whatever can be done to get rid of guilt. Experiment: if lie to experimenter about knowing about experiment, more likely to help experimenter grade questionnaires after to extinguish guilt. Doing a good deed (donating blood, helping somebody who dropped something) can relieve bad moods.
