Social Psychology: Helping Exam
Study Guide with Complete Solutions
Social Exchange Theory - Answer✔️✔️-human interactions are transactions
that aim to maximize one's rewards and minimize one's costs
-does not contend that we consciously monitor costs/benefits-only that
they predict our behavior
external rewards - Answer✔️✔️-we give to get
ex: we are most eager to help someone attractive, whose approval we
desire
internal rewards - Answer✔️✔️-increase our sense of self-worth
-feel good after doing good
egoism - Answer✔️✔️--a motive (supposedly underlying all behavior) to
increase ones own welfare
-opposite of altruism, which aims to increase someone else's welfare
*self-interest motivates behavior
Why does guilt lead to helping? This occurs especially when... -
Answer✔️✔️-it is a painful emotion that we act to avoid
-we are more likely to redeem ourselves with helpful behavior when other
people know of our misdeeds
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Prosocial behavior - Answer✔️✔️-a.k.a helping
-any act performed with the goal of benefitting another person
Why do we help when we are in a bad mood? for social norms? -
Answer✔️✔️--doing good deeds can help neutralize the bad feelings, occurs
when attention is on others
*also helps sustain a good mood
social norms-we help because we feel like we ought to, pressure to conform
Reciprocity norm(what, when is it most effective) - Answer✔️✔️-an
expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them
-reminds us to balance giving/receiving in social relations
Most effective when 1.we publicly respond to favors
2.when the interaction is part of a sustained relationship
social responsibility norm (responses are tied to) - Answer✔️✔️-an
expectation that people will help those needing help
-reminds us to help those dependent on us ex: kids, elderly, disabled
-responses are tied to attributions, is it an uncontrollable predicament or
did it occur because of the persons choices? ex: if you need money but do
drugs its your own fault
kin-selection - Answer✔️✔️-evolution has selected altruism towards one's
close relatives to enhance survival of mutually shared genes
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