PSY220H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 14: Janet Arnold, Empathic Concern, Murder Of Kitty Genovese
Document Summary
Altruism: unselfish behaviour that benefits others without regard to consequences for the self. Humans are prone to feelings of compassion that lead us to behave in ways that benefit others who are suffering, often at a cost to ourselves. Many forces inhibit altruistic action though, including tendencies for self-preservation and fear of embarrassment. Daniel batson has made a persuasive case for a selfless, other-oriented state that motivates altruistic behaviour. Proposes that any altruistic action, several motives come into play. Two of which are selfish/egotistic (social rewards and personal distress) and a third is more purely oriented towards unselfishly benefiting another person (empathic concern). Social rewards: benefits like praise, positive attention, tangible rewards, honours, and gratitude that may be gained from helping others. Altruistic acts earn people esteem and respect, two things that are very desirable social rewards. Personal distress: a motive for helping those in distress that may arise from a need to reduce our own distress.
