Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

486 CHAPTER 11 Social PsychologyWhen the New York Times interviewed various experts, theyseemed baffled, although one expert said it was a “typical” reaction(Mohr, 1964). If there was a common theme in their explanations, itseemed to be “apathy.” The occurrence was simply representative ofthe alienation and depersonalization of life in a big city, people said(see Rosenthal, 1964a, 1964b).Not everyone bought this pat explanation. In the first place, itwasn’t true. As social psychologists Bibb Latané and John Darley(1970) later pointed out in their landmark book, The UnresponsiveBystander: Why Doesn’t He Help?:Prosocial Behavior in Action Everyday lifeis filled with countless acts of prosocialbehavior. Many people volunteer theirtime and energy to help others. InModesto, California, Doug Lilly volunteersfor “Meals on Wheels.” Along with deliveringmeals to about 65 elderly residentseach week, Lilly also checks to make surethey are safe and healthy.People often help others, even at great personal risk to themselves. Forevery “apathy” story, one of outright heroism could be cited. . . . It is amistake to get trapped by the wave of publicity and discussion surroundingincidents in which help was not forthcoming into believing that helpnever comes. People sometimes help and sometimes don’t. What determineswhen help will be given?That’s the critical question, of course. When do people help others? And why dopeople help others?When we help another person with no expectation of personal benefit, we’re displayingaltruism (Batson & others, 2008). An altruistic act is fundamentallyselfless—the individual is motivated purely by the desire to help someone in need.Everyday life is filled with little acts of altruistic kindness, such as Fern giving the“homeless” man a handful of quarters or the stranger who thoughtfully holds adoor open for you as you juggle an armful of packages.Altruistic actions fall under the broader heading of prosocial behavior, which describesany behavior that helps another person, whatever the underlying motive. Notethat prosocial behaviors are not necessarily altruistic. Sometimes we help others out ofguilt. And, sometimes we help others in order to gain something, such as recognition,rewards, increased self-esteem, or having the favor returned (Dovidio & others, 2006).Coming to the Aid of a Stranger Everydaylife is filled with examples of people whocome to the aid of a stranger in distress,like this sign posted at the corner ofToronto’s Queen and Palmerston streets.Without knowing any details beyondthose written on the sign, can you identifyfactors that might have contributed to thehelping behavior of the bystanders in thissituation?Factors That Increase the Likelihoodof Bystanders HelpingKitty Genovese’s death triggered hundreds of investigations into the conditions underwhich people will help others (Dovidio, 1984; Dovidio & others, 2006). Those studiesbegan in the 1960s with the pioneering efforts of Latané and Darley, who conducteda series of ingenious experiments in which people appeared to need help. Often, thesestudies were conducted using locations in and around New York City as a kind ofopen-air laboratory.Other researchers joined the effort to understand what factorsinfluence a person’s decision to help another (see Dovidio& others, 2006). Some of the most significant factors that havebeen found to increase the likelihood of helping behavior arenoted below.• The “feel good, do good” effect. People who feel good, successful,happy, or fortunate are more likely to help others(see Forgas & others, 2008; Salovey & others, 1991).Those good feelings can be due to virtually any positiveevent, such as receiving a gift, succeeding at a task, listeningto pleasant music, finding a small amount of money, or evenjust enjoying a warm, sunny day.• Feeling guilty. We tend to be more helpful when we’re feelingguilty. For example, after telling a lie or inadvertentlycausing an accident, people were more likely to helpothers (Basil & others, 2006; Baumeister & others, 1994).