Helping and Prosocial Behavior
Who is Kitty Genovese and how does the bystander effect play a role in what happened to her?
She was a woman who was raped and stabbed outside her New York apartment. The bystander effect caused several witnesses of the attack to do nothing about the attack.
According to Kurt Lewin, why do people do the things they do?
They do the things they do because of the fundamental need to belong.
How does dissonance feel?
It feels bad and uncomfortable.
Define the Triad of Trust
Characteristics that lead to trust: likeability, authority, and honesty
What is a stereotype?
A belief about a person based on that person's group membership
Define Diffusion of Responsibility
People are less likely to help or take responsibility when more people are around. (Individuals assume other people will take responsibility or have already done so.)
What does this mean: B = f(P,E)
Behavior is a function of the person and their environment.
What is cognitive dissonance?
It's when a thought or behavior becomes in conflict with another thought or behavior, when a person experiences discomfort due to internal conflicts, it can cause us to act in surprising or unreasonable ways.
What is reciprocity?
exchanging things with others for mutual benefit, we feel compelled to repay what another person has given to us.
What is discrimination?
Negative behavior directed toward a person based on that person's group membership
What are 3 potential costs of helping?
Danger, embarrassment, or litigation
Why do people conform (6)?
People conform because of:
1. The need to belong
2. Normative Influence
3. Informational Influence
4. Don't want to lose the favor of the group
5. Self-Esteem
6. Embarrassment
How does justification of effort impact cognitive dissonance?
If you don't put much effort or time into something, you're less likely to change your cognition.
What is social proof?
An inclination to follow the crowd
-anything we can do to get good information with low effort, and to belong
What is prejudice?
An attitude about a person based on that person's group membership
What are (4) potential benefits of helping?
1.Feeling competent and in control
2. Might save a life
3. Reciprocity
4. Social rewards
Explain the Milgram obedience study.
The Milgram obedience study watched what participants would do when they were instructed to keep hitting a button that caused pain to another individual for answering a question incorrectly. Most participants kept pressing the button no matter how much pain the other individual was in. The person pressing the button was told that pressing the button was necessary to complete the study. Most humans are more likely to be obedient.
How does justification of forced compliance impact cognitive dissonance?
Forced compliance does not give you the option to change your cognition/behavior and there is a fear of noncompliance.
What is door in the face?
A rejection that leads to a compromise
What was the robbers cave experiment?
It was an experiment used to create and then fix intergroup conflict. Two groups of boys were given competitive tasks leading to hostility amongst the two groups. Later the two groups were given cooperative tasks reducing conflict by allowing the two groups to have shared goals.
What are the 5 steps that determine whether or not someone will help?
1. Notice that someone needs help
2. Interpret the situation as an emergency
3. Assume the responsibility
4. Know what to do or how to help
5. Make the decision to help
Define normative influence?
Define informational influence?
People go along with the crowd because they are concerned about what others think of them.
People go along with the crowd because the actions of others provide information as to what is socially appropriate.
What does cognitive dissonance explain?
Why people do what they do, why they justify a decision, why they experience guilt or regret, why they feel embarrassed or ashamed and try to hide their actions
What is reactance?
The tendency to assert our freedom of choice when we feel others are attempting to control us.
What is the contact hypothesis?
The theory that prejudice is reduced when people spend time with members of different groups.