PSY220H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Observational Learning, Hypothalamus, Subculture
Document Summary
Altruism: a motive to increase another"s welfare without conscious regard for self-interests. Social exchange theory: human interactions are transactions that aim to maximize one"s rewards and minimize one"s costs. Rewards can be external (attraction, status,) or internal (satisfaction, self-worth) B. f. skinner said we credit people for good deeds when we can"t explain them. We attribute behavior to inner dispositions when we lack external explanations. When the external causes are obvious, we credit the causes, not the person. Egoism: a motive (supposedly underlying all behavior) to increase your own welfare. Internal rewards: feel bad-do good > guilt (relieve through good deeds). Feel good-do good > happiness/helpfulness (helping softens bad mood and sustains good mood) Women more likely to be offered help, more likely to seek help. Kin selection: evolution has selected altruism toward one"s close relatives to enhance survival of mutually shared genes. Reciprocity: one organism helps another in expectation of receiving help in return.
