Analysis of Helping Behaviors

Every day, you see and/or hear about the use of helping or prosocial behaviors. Some of these behaviors go unnoticed while others are highly publicized. Some helping behavior is highly structured, such as that which takes place within volunteer organizations, while other helping behavior is spontaneous, such as when someone helps a person in a wheelchair by opening a door. Volunteerism reflects the giving of time, money, and energy engaged in by almost half of U.S. households. Several countries show similar levels of volunteerism. One study suggests that the United Kingdom, Australia, Korea, and Singapore volunteer at rates of about 51%, 46%, 14%, and 15%, respectively. At the same time, you hear of examples of the opposite, what might be considered antisocial behavior where people ignore those in need or even act negatively, such as engaging in looting during disasters.
To prepare for this assignment:
• Review the assigned pages in Chapter 10 and all of Chapter 12 in the course text, Social Psychology, focusing on the theoretical perspectives related to helping behavior, the characteristics of those who help others, and issues related to bystander intervention.
• Watch the “Prosocial Behavior” video from the Contemporary Videos in Social Psychology DVD. Pay particular attention to how the different individuals behaved in the experiment and the justifications they gave for their behavior.
• Explore the Internet for examples of prosocial behaviors during recent disasters: Hurricane Katrina; Cyclone Nargis, which swept across Myanmar; California wildfires; the events of the World Trade Center attack on 9/11; or other local or global disasters. Look for specific examples of prosocial behavior and antisocial behavior as well.
• Select one of the examples you explored for this assignment.
• Review the article, “Aid in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: Inferences of Secondary Emotions and Intergroup Helping.” Apply the information from this article, along with the information from the other Learning Resources, to some of the examples of prosocial behavior and antisocial behavior displayed during the disaster or event you selected.
• Think about the following questions:
o How does the presence of others impact individual behavior?
o How might deindividuation apply in the examples of social and antisocial behaviors?
o Does culture influence either prosocial or antisocial behavior? If so, how?
o What aspects of the situation influence/elicit prosocial or antisocial behavior?
The assignment 1 page: APA style format, No Plagiarism and must be cited with references using the resources the provided. Thank you
• Briefly describe the “event” you selected.
• Then describe one example of prosocial or helping behavior and one example of antisocial or negative behavior in groups related to the event.
• Analyze the people’s prosocial behaviors using the theories, concepts, and perspectives presented in the text:
o The evolutionary perspective
o The sociocultural perspective
o The learning perspective
o The decision-making perspective
o The Attribution Theory
o The negative-state model
o Motives for helping
o Concepts related to bystander intervention

(1)Explain the possible or likely characteristics of those who helped in your example as well as the probable characteristics of those who demonstrated negative behavior.

(2)Explain any aspects of the event itself that influence/elicit prosocial and antisocial behavior.

(3)Explain the role, if any, of culture in the prosocial and antisocial behaviors displayed.

Resources:
Course Text: Taylor, S. E., Peplau, L. A., & Sears, D. O. (2006). Social psychology (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Chapter 7, “Social Influence” (pp. 204–230)
Chapter 10, “Behavior in Groups” (pp. 296–311 only)
Chapter 12, “Helping Behavior” (pp. 372–4 02)

Article: Janes, L., & Olson J. (2000). Jeer pressures: The behavioral effects observing ridicule of others. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

Article: Cuddy, A., Rock, M., & Norton, M. (2007). Aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: Inferences of secondary emotions and intergroup helping. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations.
Media
Contemporary Videos in Social Psychology DVD Conformity and Influence in Group
“Prosocial Behavior”