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Social Relations

Social Relations . Altruism, Helping Behavior, and Conflict . Why Do We Help?. Social exchange theory: the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs

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Social Relations

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  1. Social Relations Altruism, Helping Behavior, and Conflict

  2. Why Do We Help? • Social exchange theory: the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs • If the rewards you anticipate from helping exceed the costs, you will help • For many people, helping others is intrinsically motivating • Reciprocity norm: an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them • Social responsibility norm: an expectation that people will help those dependent upon them (those who need our help!) • Altruistic Behavior (altruism): helping behavior that is not linked to personal gain • Unselfish regard for the welfare of others • Also observed in other primates

  3. Bystander Intervention • When do we help others? When don’t we? • Bystander Effect: the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present • Diffusion of responsibility

  4. Experiment • University students participated in a discussion over an intercom • Each student was in a separate cubicle, and only the person whose microphone was switched on could be heard • One of the other “students” was really a confederate • When his turn came he made sounds like he was having a seizure • Response of the other students: • Those who believed only they could hear the victim, usually went to his aid • Those who thought others could hear the victim were more likely to ignore the victim • Experiment presented in your text: • 70% offered help to the unseen victim when they were alone • When they were with someone else, only 7% offered help

  5. The Best Odds of Us Helping Someone Occur When… • Studied by John Darley and Bibb Latané • The person appears to need and deserve help • The person is in some way similar to us • We have just observed someone else being helpful • We are not in a hurry • We are in a small town or rural area • We are feeling guilty • We are focused on others and not preoccupied • We are in a good mood • One of the most consistent findings in all of psychology!

  6. Conflict • Definition: a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas • Social traps: a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest, become caught in mutually destructive behavior • How do we avoid this? • Regulations • Communication • Awareness of our responsibility

  7. Enemy Perceptions • Mirror-image perceptions: mutual views often held by conflicting people • Each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive • We see them as they see us! • Often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy

  8. Contact • Does putting people in conflict in contact help? • Sometimes • Needs to be noncompetitive in nature • Parties need to be of equal status

  9. Cooperation • MuzaferSherif • Boy scout study • Superordinate goals: shared goals that override differences and that can only be achieved through cooperation

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