Psych 280 | Iowa State University |
Exam 4 | questions and answers
passed
Prosocial behavior - correct answer ✔✔any act performed with the goal of helping another
person
altruism - correct answer ✔✔any act that benefits another person but does not benefit the
helper & may even pose some risk to the helper
How does evolutionary psychology explain helping behavior? - correct answer ✔✔ancient
ancestors lived with only family members; helping is general drive that continued after this
norm stopped
Why do we help people who aren't relatives? - correct answer ✔✔helpful quality got passed on;
general tendency we have
Kin selection - correct answer ✔✔behaviors that help a genetic relative are favored by natural
selection
Reciprocity norm - correct answer ✔✔the expectation that helping others will increase the
likelihood that they will help us in the future
How does social exchange theory explain helping behavior? - correct answer ✔✔it predicts that
we only help others when the benefits outweigh the costs
Rewards of helping - correct answer ✔✔- reciprocity
, - investment in future (someone will help us when we need it)
- relief of bystander distress
- gain rewards of social approval & increased feelings of self worth
Costs of helping - correct answer ✔✔- physical danger
- pain
- embarrassment
- time
According to the empathy-altruism hypothesis, under what conditions do we help altruistically?
- correct answer ✔✔when we feel empathy or if helping will benefit us in some way
How did Batson (1991) demonstrate support for the empathy-altruism hypothesis? - correct
answer ✔✔- you are observer, other person is learner & they receive shocks
- experimenter asks you to switch
- read learner's biography; if similar, have high empathy but if opposite, low empathy
- escape difficulty; done watching shocks (easy escape) vs. watch 8 more (difficult)
How did Batson & Toi demonstrate support for the empathy-altruism hypothesis? - correct
answer ✔✔- participants exposed to another student in class who needed help catching up on
material
- some participants told would be another class with her (difficult escape, high cost) or not (easy
escape, low cost)
- some asked to imagine her feelings (high empathy) or not (low)
- low empathy: costs mattered, high empathy: helped regardless of costs
Exam 4 | questions and answers
passed
Prosocial behavior - correct answer ✔✔any act performed with the goal of helping another
person
altruism - correct answer ✔✔any act that benefits another person but does not benefit the
helper & may even pose some risk to the helper
How does evolutionary psychology explain helping behavior? - correct answer ✔✔ancient
ancestors lived with only family members; helping is general drive that continued after this
norm stopped
Why do we help people who aren't relatives? - correct answer ✔✔helpful quality got passed on;
general tendency we have
Kin selection - correct answer ✔✔behaviors that help a genetic relative are favored by natural
selection
Reciprocity norm - correct answer ✔✔the expectation that helping others will increase the
likelihood that they will help us in the future
How does social exchange theory explain helping behavior? - correct answer ✔✔it predicts that
we only help others when the benefits outweigh the costs
Rewards of helping - correct answer ✔✔- reciprocity
, - investment in future (someone will help us when we need it)
- relief of bystander distress
- gain rewards of social approval & increased feelings of self worth
Costs of helping - correct answer ✔✔- physical danger
- pain
- embarrassment
- time
According to the empathy-altruism hypothesis, under what conditions do we help altruistically?
- correct answer ✔✔when we feel empathy or if helping will benefit us in some way
How did Batson (1991) demonstrate support for the empathy-altruism hypothesis? - correct
answer ✔✔- you are observer, other person is learner & they receive shocks
- experimenter asks you to switch
- read learner's biography; if similar, have high empathy but if opposite, low empathy
- escape difficulty; done watching shocks (easy escape) vs. watch 8 more (difficult)
How did Batson & Toi demonstrate support for the empathy-altruism hypothesis? - correct
answer ✔✔- participants exposed to another student in class who needed help catching up on
material
- some participants told would be another class with her (difficult escape, high cost) or not (easy
escape, low cost)
- some asked to imagine her feelings (high empathy) or not (low)
- low empathy: costs mattered, high empathy: helped regardless of costs
