Exam 11: Prosocial Behavior: Why Do People Help

Although George wants to help a stranded motorist he passed on the freeway, he passes by because he knows it would take too much time out of his busy schedule. What theory offers the best explanation as to why George did not help?

"Put yourself in my position," Janice whines. "Can't you spare an hour to help me out?" Janice is attempting to evoke ________ when trying to persuade you to help her.

Charles Darwin, an evolutionary theorist, found it difficult to explain altruism. From an evolutionary perspective, it would initially seem that over centuries and generations, altruistic behaviors would ________ because ________.

In a study reported by the authors of your text, a participant in a chat group posed a question to the group asking for help. The results of this study showed that the participant was more likely to receive help faster when he or she

Using the stage model of the decisions bystanders make before helping (or not helping) in an emergency, which of the following is not one of the stages in the model?

According to the evolutionary psychology notion of kin selection, Bob is most likely to help his

Your text offers several challenges that evolutionary psychology has not been able to address. Which of the following would also challenge evolutionary rationales for helping behavior?

Gillian is sitting in a crowded coffee shop when she hears the squeal of brakes and the crash of metal-on-metal. She looks around and notices that all the other customers remain engrossed in their conversations. Because these cool and calm responses ________, Gillian will be ________.

Pluralistic ignorance is most likely to discourage intervention in an emergency when

Based on information from your text about the rates of volunteerism, which of the following countries has the highest rate of volunteerism in its population (47 percent)?

According to evolutionary theory (Darwin, 1859), natural selection favors genes that promote individual survival. This tenet is most troublesome in explaining

The bystander effect refers to the finding that

Recall that participants in an experiment described in the text (Toi & Batson, 1982) listened to an (alleged) radio interview in which a student in their introductory psychology class described an accident that caused her to fall behind in the course. Some participants were told that Carol would soon be returning to their class. According to the research, why is this referred to as a "high cost" condition?

Why are many biologists skeptical about the concept of group selection?

Amberly's house has burned down, and local news channels announce that Amberly will need household items to replace those lost in the fire. Which of the following is most likely?

The authors of your text offer three main motives as to why people help others. These motives include all of the following except

Some evolutionary psychologists argue that in our distant past, those who selfishly pursued their own individual interests would be less likely to survive to pass on their genes. This argument lies at the heart of ________ as a source of altruistic behavior.

Recall that Latané and Darley (1970) had participants complete questionnaires alone, or in the presence of two others. When the experimental room filled with "smoke," participants who were alone reported the potential emergency more quickly than did those who worked on the questionnaire in the company of others. These results provide support for the concept of

Timothy just got into a big fight with his girlfriend, and as a result, he is in a bad mood. When Kate asks him to contribute to her charity organization, Timothy readily agrees, which makes him feel better. Timothy's behavior can best be explained by

A person in a communal relationship with another is more likely to be concerned with the ________ effects of helping, whereas someone in an exchange relationship with another is more likely to be concerned with the ________ effects of helping that individual.