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Summary Prosocial Behaviour
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Prosocial behaviour is doing something that is good for other people or for society as a whole and this document summaries its key theories and definitions.
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CHAPTER9
PROSOCIAL BEHVAIOUR: DOING WHAT’S BEST
FOR OTHERS
WHAT IS PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOUR?
Prosocial behaviour: doing something that is good for other people or for society as a whole.
Includes behaviour that respects others or that allows society to operate.
Prosocial behaviour builds relationships unlike antisocial behaviour that
destroys relationships.
Important forms of prosocial behaviour:
Obeying the rules
Conforming to socially accepted standards of proper behaviour
Cooperating with others
If no one obeys the rules, society will fall apart – following the rules is essential.
Helping (which most psychology textbooks treat as the primary form of prosocial
behaviour, is actually something ‘extra’ or a luxury. Helping is less essential,
though helping does make the world a nicer place, and some forms of helping
(e.g. what parents do for their children) are viral for the survival of the species.
A society in which people respect and follow the rules is said to have an effective
Rule of Law:
Rule of Law: when members of a society (including its most powerful leaders) respect and follow
the rules.
If there are no laws, or if laws exist but are widely
ignored/disobeyed, the rule of law is said to be lacking. The law is
usually a huge boost to the quality of life.
Researchers have found a positive correlation between happiness
and rule of law, across many societies.
Factors that contribute to prosocial behaviour:
, Secure attachment relationships
Positive role models
Achievement of moral identity
Faith
Critical thinking
Internal locus of control
Environmental factors
Stimulating activities
BORN TO RECIPROCATE
Reciprocity: the obligation to return in kind what another has done for us
Most often people consider reciprocity to be direct – you help someone who may
help you later. However, scientists have argued that some reciprocity may be
indirect – help someone and receive help from someone else, even strangers
who you know you only through reputation. Helping someone or refusing to help
has an impact on one’s reputation within the group.
People’s willingness to request or accept help often depends on whether they
think will be able to pay it back (i.e. Reciprocity).
If they don’t think they can pay the helper back, they are less
willing to let someone help them. (problem amongst elderly – their
declining health and income can prevent them from reciprocating)
Gratitude: a positive emotion that results from the perception that one has benefited from the
society from the costly, intentional, voluntary action of another person.
When someone helps you, you probably feel grateful for the
assistance.
BORN TO BE FAIR
Fairness is a cultural norm.
, Norms: standards established by society to tell its members what types of behaviour are typical or
expected.
- Norms that promote fairness can have an important influence on whether
people contribute to the common good.
Two norms that promote fairness are:
Equity: the idea that each person receives benefits in proportion to what he/she
contributes. (e.g. the person who does the most work gets the highest pay)
Equality: the idea that everyone gets the same amount, regardless of what he/she
contributes.
An individual’s ability to reproduce depends largely on his/her position within the
social group – in order to maintain fitness-enhancing relationships, the
individual’s must invest time, energy and resources in building good
relationships.
If you take without giving something back, you run the risk of being
resented or excluded from the group.
People are designed by nature to belong to a system based on fairness and
social exchange
The feeling that you have no value to others – that you are a taker
rather than a giver – is a major cause of depression (there are
plenty of obnoxious people who take more than they give, but most
of them don’t see themselves that way – people who do see
themselves as taking more than they give may become depressed).
To avoid depression, people may seek to contribute their fair share.
Suicide: one reason people commit suicide is that they think they are a burden
on other people – that others do things for them that they cannot reciprocate, so
others would be better off if they were dead - of course, people are not better off
when someone commits suicide – suicide has numerous negative effects of those
left behind. Not only do the survivors miss the deceased, they may even blame
themselves for the suicide.
The concern with fairness is that it makes people feel bad when they don’t
contribute their fair share, but it can also affect people who think that that their
good performance makes others feel bad. When we outperform others, we may
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