PS270 Chapter Notes -Egotism, In-Group Favoritism, Psych
Document Summary
Helping benefits the giver and the receiver. Considering the costs and rewards affects our behaviour. When external causes for altruism are obvious, we tend to credit the causes, not the individual. Lowers potential for criminal behaviour, teen pregnancy, school drop outs. Helping involves the helpers emotional state and personal traits. Experiments show that people will do whatever can be done to get rid of guilt and restore their self image. Anger does not produce compassion, neither does depression or grief. Sad people in a grief experiment showed the following: those who were other-focused were more apt to help than those who were self-focused . Helping softens a bad mood and sustains a good mood: social norms pg. 282 [ norms are social expectations ] Something tells us we ought to help. Neighbours keeping an eye out for one another"s properties. When people cannot reciprocate, they may feel threatened and demeaned by accepting aid.
