Module: Social Psychology
Week 11 – Prosocial Behaviour, Helping Behaviour, Bystander Intervention
Session Outline
This area of helping and prosocial is big within social psychology
Human beings as social creatures are affected by the presence of other
people
We behave in certain ways with members of our own and when being around
other groups
We are going to be looking at situational factors
Motivational factors altruism, empathy and ego, and also a mixture of all
three.
Other factors
Is helping truly selfless or do we get something out of it?
Is it positive?
Key terms defined
Altruism means doing things for the good of others rather than for ourselves – just
giving to others.
Helping behaviour
Actions that are intended to provide some benefit to or improvement of the wellbeing
of others – it doesn’t refer to emergency situations.
Prosocial behaviours
Helping might not be a prosocial behaviour – might just be someone’s job like
a health care practitioner, a nurse etc.
Sometimes used to refer to where someone’s motive is unknown
What’s the opposite of prosocial behaviour? Antisocial (disruptive acts,
tension and aggression towards other).
Bystander Effect
You would think that the more people witness something, the more they get
involved, but actually less people would help.
Anyone who witnesses an emergency situation where help is needed.
Might stand and kind of just watch
Video clip: The Bystander Effect
Week 11 – Prosocial Behaviour, Helping Behaviour, Bystander Intervention
Session Outline
This area of helping and prosocial is big within social psychology
Human beings as social creatures are affected by the presence of other
people
We behave in certain ways with members of our own and when being around
other groups
We are going to be looking at situational factors
Motivational factors altruism, empathy and ego, and also a mixture of all
three.
Other factors
Is helping truly selfless or do we get something out of it?
Is it positive?
Key terms defined
Altruism means doing things for the good of others rather than for ourselves – just
giving to others.
Helping behaviour
Actions that are intended to provide some benefit to or improvement of the wellbeing
of others – it doesn’t refer to emergency situations.
Prosocial behaviours
Helping might not be a prosocial behaviour – might just be someone’s job like
a health care practitioner, a nurse etc.
Sometimes used to refer to where someone’s motive is unknown
What’s the opposite of prosocial behaviour? Antisocial (disruptive acts,
tension and aggression towards other).
Bystander Effect
You would think that the more people witness something, the more they get
involved, but actually less people would help.
Anyone who witnesses an emergency situation where help is needed.
Might stand and kind of just watch
Video clip: The Bystander Effect
