Question 1

Ben is highly disturbed by the screaming he hears from the street below his apartment.To help reduce his distress,he goes to see if someone needs help.Ben's behavior seems to be motivated by:

Accepted Answer

Ben's behavior is motivated by the desire to reduce his own distress, which is an internal reward. This indicates that his actions are driven by the gaining of an internal reward rather than purely altruistic motives, external rewards, or reciprocity.

Question 2

You ate the last of your roommate's cereal.When she asks "Did you finish the cereal or did I?" you lie and say you didn't eat it.When she then asks you to stop by the store to pick up some more,you agree.Your behavior is best explained by:

Accepted Answer

The behavior can be best explained by the need to reduce private guilt, as the person lied about eating the cereal and agreed to buy more to alleviate the guilt.

Question 3

While walking down the street,Tim sees a man slumped over grabbing his chest.Tim looks around at the other pedestrians who don't seem concerned.He assumes that,if they aren't worried,then everything is OK and keeps walking.This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

This scenario is an example of pluralistic ignorance, where individuals look to the behavior of others to determine how to act in an ambiguous situation. In this case, Tim assumes that because no one else seems concerned about the man grabbing his chest, it must not be a serious situation.

Question 4

When Will sees other people crying,he cries too,and when he sees someone who is embarrassed,he feels embarrassed.Will would likely receive a high score on a measure of:

Accepted Answer

Will's behavior suggests he has a strong ability to empathize with others, as evidenced by his tendency to feel emotions similar to those of the people around him. This is a key characteristic of empathy.

Question 5

Katherine,her daughter,and some of Katherine's friends are boating in a river.Suddenly,their boat capsizes because of strong currents.Katherine is able to hold onto a log of wood,and she puts all efforts to save her daughter.She prioritizes her daughter's life over those of her friends.According to evolutionary psychology,which of the following is exemplified in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

This scenario is an example of kin selection, which is the tendency to favor close relatives over non-relatives when it comes to altruistic behavior. Katherine prioritizes her daughter's life over her friends', which is a common behavior seen in kin selection.

Question 6

The bystander effect predicts that:

Accepted Answer

The bystander effect predicts that people are less likely to help when in groups than when they are alone. This is because individuals feel less personal responsibility to intervene when there are others around to potentially take action.

Question 7

According to Johnson and Post (2017),identify a true statement about helping.

Accepted Answer

According to Johnson and Post (2017), volunteering can boost mood and physical health. Option B, C, and D are false statements.

Question 8

The perception of certain individuals or groups as outside the boundary within which one applies moral values and rules of fairness is called:

Accepted Answer

Moral exclusion refers to the phenomenon where certain individuals or groups are perceived as outside of the moral community, thus applying moral values and rules of fairness does not apply to them. This leads to discrimination, prejudice, and the denial of basic human rights. Examples include the dehumanization of refugees, immigrants, or members of different ethnic or religious groups, as well as the exclusion of individuals based on their gender or sexual orientation.

Question 9

Identify a true statement about gender differences in helping behavior.

Accepted Answer

Research has consistently shown that women are more likely to seek medical and psychiatric help than men, therefore statement B is true. Statement A is incorrect as there is no evidence to support that men are the majority of callers to radio counseling programs. Statement C is partially true, as research has shown that women tend to offer more emotional support to men, but not necessarily practical help. Statement D is not supported by research, as both men and women generally welcome help from friends.

Question 10

People are most likely to offer assistance when:

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon of "bystander effect" suggests that people are less likely to offer assistance in the presence of many witnesses. However, studies have shown that seeing someone else helping can actually increase the likelihood of someone offering assistance as it establishes a social norm of helping behavior. Therefore, choice C is correct as witnessing someone else helping increases the likelihood of someone offering assistance.

Question 11

Caleb,an affluent man,supports many charity organizations anonymously.He is a religious man who believes that as God has provided everything for him,and he should give some of his wealth to needy and unfortunate people.According to the social-exchange theory,Caleb exhibits the ________ in this scenario.

Accepted Answer

Caleb's actions align with the social-responsibility norm, which is the idea that individuals have an obligation to help others who are in need, especially when the cost of helping is relatively low compared to the benefit of helping. Caleb's belief that he should give some of his wealth to those in need reflects this norm. The reciprocity norm is the idea that people should help others who have helped them in the past, which is not applicable to this scenario. The bystander effect refers to the phenomenon where individuals are less likely to intervene in an emergency situation when other people are present, which is not relevant to this scenario. The overjustification effect refers to the idea that if individuals are given an external reward for a behavior they already enjoy, their intrinsic motivation for the behavior may decrease, which is not relevant to this scenario.

Question 12

According to evolutionary psychology,

Accepted Answer

According to evolutionary psychology, most altruistic behavior in human society reflects either a kin selection process (helping family members to ensure the survival of shared genes) or reciprocity (helping others in order to receive help in return). This suggests that altruistic behavior has evolved as a way to increase one's own chances of survival and reproduction.

Question 13

Which of the following statements about helping behavior and social norms is true?

Accepted Answer

The reciprocity norm is based on the idea of balancing giving and receiving. It suggests that we should help those who help us or who we believe will help us in the future. It operates as a reminder to individuals of the need to reciprocate kindness and generosity towards others.

Question 14

Belle is deliriously happy because she has recently fallen in love with Sean.Which of the following behaviors should we most likely expect from Belle?

Accepted Answer

When people are in a positive mood, such as being in love, they are more likely to engage in prosocial behaviors, such as helping others. Therefore, we would expect Belle to display more helpful behaviors.

Question 15

Nicholas and Tyler are two young men who are childhood friends.Nicholas teaches Tyler to ride a bicycle,and Tyler teaches Nicholas swimming.According to the social-exchange theory,which of the following is exhibited by Nicholas and Tyler in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

The reciprocity norm is exhibited by Nicholas and Tyler as they are exchanging favors and helping each other out in a mutually beneficial way. Nicholas teaches Tyler to ride a bike, and in return, Tyler teaches Nicholas how to swim. This is an example of the norm of reciprocity, where individuals feel obligated to reciprocate kindnesses or favors that are done for them.

Question 16

People often feel more altruistic when they have helped without receiving payment or implied social pressure than when offered a reward for doing so.This is best explained by:

Accepted Answer

The overjustification effect is the tendency for intrinsic motivation to diminish for activities that have become associated with extrinsic rewards. In this case, the offer of a reward may cause the person to view their action as less altruistic and more motivated by the reward, leading to a decrease in their intrinsic motivation and subsequent feelings of altruism.

Question 17

According to Latané and Darley (1968),what must happen first for you to offer assistance in an emergency?

Accepted Answer

Latané and Darley's theory of bystander intervention states that the first step in helping someone in an emergency is noticing that there is a problem. This is known as the "notice the incident" stage of the decision-making process.

Question 18

Why does personal treatment increase helping in bystanders?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why does personal treatment increase helping in...

Question 19

When Darley and Batson (1973)staged an ambiguous emergency (a man slumped in a doorway)in front of seminary students,they found that:

Accepted Answer

The study by Darley and Batson found that seminary students who were in a hurry to get to their next appointment were less likely to stop and help the man slumped in the doorway, demonstrating how situational factors can influence helping behavior.

Question 20

Which of the following statements is true about gender differences in helping behavior?

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that gender differences in helping behavior mainly emerge in the context of seeking help. Women are more likely to seek help than men, while there are no significant gender differences in offering help or receiving help. Additionally, men and women tend to offer help based on need rather than physical attractiveness. There is no evidence to suggest that men welcome help more readily than women.

Quiz 12: Helping