Application: Pro-Social Behavior
Pro-social behavior is behavior that is intended to benefit others (Fiske, 2014). There are various schools of thought regarding why individuals engage in pro-social behavior. These explanations include egocentric purposes, altruistic purposes, collective purposes, or adherence to moral standards. In addition to motivation, it is important to consider how situational factors affect pro-social behavior (Fiske, 2014).
For this week’s application, review the Learning Resources (Fiske, Chapter 9; Darley & Latane, 1968) as well as supplemental sources you determine using Walden’s Library.
The Assignment (3–5 pages)
- Define pro-social behavior.
- Explain three potential conditions in which diffusion of responsibility might occur and why.
- Explain the steps of pro-social behavior and the significance of each step.
- Be specific and use the current literature to support your response.
Answer preview
Normally people tend to act in a way that benefits the other person especially when an individual is in need of help, this is what entails the pro-social kind of behavior. On the other hand, many people will not feel obliged to offer help especially when there is the presence of many people in the scene for a number of reasons, for instance, thinking that somebody else will offer the help. This kind of behavior is what causes diffusion of responsibility (Hussain, Shu, Tangirala, & Srinivas, 2017). This paper analyzes pro-social behavior, the diffusion of responsibility and the pro-social steps taken before offering help. (1356words)