Situational Influence on Altruism

Situational Influence on Altruism

Number of Bystanders or Bystanders Effect

Time Pressure

Similarity Exposure to models increased prosaical behaviour

Bystanders effect

• The bystander effect, or bystander apathy, is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases in which individuals do not offer any means of help to a victim when other people are present. The probability of help is inversely related to the number of bystanders.

As the number of bystanders at an emergency increases , any given bystanders is

Less likely to notice the incident Less likely to interpret it as an emergency Less likely to assume responsibility

Similarity

We tend to help those whom we perceive as being similar to us.

Because similarity is conducive(Favourable) to liking and liking to conducive.

Empathic towards those similar to us. Similar in sense or with respect of Age,

Nationality. Characteristic , Appearance, similar values.

Time Pressure

It is the circumstances which inhibit helping is having less time , those in a hurry are less likely to help.

Helpers Disposition

Personality Traits

Gender Religious Values

Personality Traits

Altruistic personality : A cluster of traits that predisposes individuals to behave in a prosocial manner.

The five dimension that are characteristic of people who engage in prosocial behaviour in an emergency situation are -

Empathy/Network Traits

• Responsible, Socialized,conforming,tolerant,self-controlled,&Motivated

Belief

• Good behaviour is rewarded & bad behaviour punished

Social Responsibility

• Each persons responsibility

Internal locus of control

Low egocentrism

• Self absorbed & not tend to competitive

Reaction to Particular situation

Individual Difference

Gender

The interaction of person and situation also plays an important role in Prosocial behaviour.

Men for example have been observed to help more in dangerous situation, women as volunteers.

Thus, gender difference interacts with (depend on) the situation.

Religious faith

Religious faith predicts long-term altruism, as reflected in volunteerism and charitable contributions.

Intrinsically religious people are only slightly more responsive.

The religiously committed people have reported volunteering more hours.

How to promote Altruism

How can we enhance helping

Undo the restraints on helpingReduce

Ambiguity

&Increase

responsibility

Enable guilt and

concern for self image

Socializing Altruism1. Teach moral

inclusion2. Model Altruism3. Learn By Doing4 Attribute helping

behaviour to altruism5. Learn about

Altruism

Reduce Ambiguity, Increase Responsibility

We can take the steps to reduce the ambiguity of an emergency, to make a personal appeal , and to increase feelings of personal appeal, and to increase feelings of responsibility.

Guilt & Concern for Self Image

Under this category we can even use reprimands or the door-in-the-face technique to evoke guilt feelings or a concern for self-image.

Door-in-the-face technique: A strategy for gaining a concession. After some first turns down a large request (the-door-in-the-face), the same requester counteroffers with a more reasonable request

Socializing Altruism

We can tech altruism.