Prosocial Behavior

by Clark, Margaret S.

• ISBN13: 9780803940710
• ISBN10: 0803940718
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1991-01-01
• Publisher: Sage Pubns

Summary

You are driving to work and see someone pushing his car, obviously out of petrol. You pull over and help him get his car safely off the road. Do you do this solely for the satisfaction of assisting someone in need? Are you expecting some type of reward? Is it because of the way you were brought up? Prosocial Behavior considers the phenomenon of altruism - its causes, its effects and its manifestations. Clark and a learned group of researchers explore such issues as: the socialization of altruism; volunteering; the effect of helping on the helper; and the effect of help-seeking behaviour on dependence and independence. With anthropological, biological and sociological approaches, this multi-perspective volume is an intriguing resource for students, scholars and researchers in social psychology and sociology.

Table of Contents

Editor's Introduction

The Socialization of Altruism

Prosocial Behavior and Empathy

A Multimethod, Developmental Perspective Current Status of the Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis

The Arousal

Cost-Reward Model and the Process of Intervention

A Review of the Evidence

A Functional Analysis of Altruism and Prosocial Behavior

The Case of Volunteerism Spontaneous Communication and Altruism

The Communicative Gene Hypothesis

The Cultural Relativity of Selfish Individualism

Anthropological Evidence that Humans are Inherently Sociable Mood and Helping

Mood as a Motivator of Helping and Helping as a Regulator of Mood Helping as Coping

Social Support and Interpersonal Relationships

Help-Seeking Behavior

Psychological Costs and Instrumental Benefits

Altruism and Prosocial Behavior Research

Reflections and Prospects

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