Psychology 3720F/G Chapter 1: Psych 3720 Chapter 1
14 Jan 2019
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Psych 3720
January 7, 2018
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Prosocial Behaviour
- Prosocial behaviour – behaviour that benefits others
- We consider recipients of help as active participants in the transaction of helping
- Social psychologists have found that the number of people willing to help decreases as
the number of individuals present increases
Understanding prosocial behaviour: a common concern
- Folktales and parables about prosocial behaviour
o Can provide insight into the themes that are of common concern to members of
a culture and the lessons that are considered valuable enough to be passed on
from generation to generation
o Prosocial may have an adaptive value in increasing the chances of an individuals
and groups survival
o Most explicit tales of the value of prosocial action comes from African American
culture ‘Spreading Fingers of Friendship’
▪ Provides a vivid contrast between the consequences of selfishness and
sharing
o Other folktales rather than primarily stressing the importance and benefits of
simple acts of helping, they encourage dramatic selfless behaviour by providing
members of a culture with stories about heroic acts
▪ Native American legend of Aliquipiso from Oneida nation
o Although some folktales are maintained through spoken word others are written
▪ New Testament parable of the Good Samaritan
o These serve as an important means of instruction for successive generations
- Religion and prosocial behaviour
o The lessons that can be learned from folktales and parables are also represented
and have been formalized in the major religions of the world
o The tenets of these religions provide abstract ethical principles that the followers
are expected to interpret and follow
o One common theme among religions is the importance for concern for others
▪ The Talmud, ‘Benevolence is one of the pillars upon which the world
rests’
▪ Quran
▪ Confucius, ‘wisdom, benevolence and fortitude, these are the universal
virtues’
o Often referred to the Golden Rule, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do
unto you’
o Emerged from a more universal rule for social behaviour that appears to play an
adaptive function Moses Maimonides tried to differentiate among types of
helping, and specified an eight step hierarchy or ladder
