Theories of Motivation
The Bystander Effect
Conclusions
Pro-social behaviour (broadest term)
◦ Action intended to benefit another
◦ Can be done to gain either external or internal
reward
Benevolence (slightly narrower term)
◦ Action intended to benefit another, but not to
gain external reward)
Pure altruism
◦ Action intended to solely benefit another
◦ No external reward to the helper
◦ No internal reward to the helper
Some argue there is no such thing as pure altruism
Defining Prosocial Behavior
Defining Prosocial Behavior
A basic question that people have asked is
whether people are willing to help when there
is nothing to gain, or if they only help when
there is some benefit for them.
Evolutionary
Social Exchange
Empathy-altruism
Evolutionary Psychology: Instincts and Genes
“Although some givers get exploited and burn out, the rest achieve
extraordinary results across a wide range of industries."
Empathy and Altruism: The Pure Motive for
Helping
Empathic Reduction of
yes Altruistic
concern other’s distress
no Personal Reduction of
Egoistic
distress own distress
Why?
People brought up to be more neighbourly in
countryside?
Milgram (1970)- urban overload hypothesis: people
keep to themselves in cities in order to avoid over-
stimulation.
It is often difficult to disentangle whether
people are helping for altruistic or egoistic
motives.
◦ If someone feels joy after helping, is that an
egoistic motive?
Individual Differences: The Altruistic Personality
44
of
76
Genovese was murdered in a New York street in
1964 at around 3am after returning home from
work in a bar – she was attacked by a man with a
knife
She tried to escape but her attacker caught her and
repeatedly stabbed her
Kitty’s scream for help woke 30+ of her neighbours
– many switched on their lights and watched for up
to 30 minutes
Only one called the police – no one went to her
aid…
Why did the 30+ other people do nothing?
Diffusion of responsibility
Audience inhibition
Cost-benefit analysis
Diffusion of responsibility
For Discussion:
Given your own experiences what views do you have on
this subject? -
Are humans self-interested or empathic?
Is this a cultural question?
What provides the strongest motives for social good?
Punishment/reward? (The Broken Glass hypothesis) –
moral integrity? Evolutionary traits?