Psychology 3720F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Egotism, High High, Dependent And Independent Variables

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 3720F/G
• Professor: Doug Hazlewood

Document Summary

Egoistic helping: the ultimate goal is to increase our own welfare. He believes sometimes helping behavior is truly altruistic. Altrusitic helping: the ultimate goal is to increase the other person"s welfare. If no: emotional response=personal distress (a self oriented reaction; we feel anxious, we feel upset); motivated to reduce it. Most psychologists agree with this aspect of the model. If yes (we do adopt the other person"s perspective) Emotional response: empathy (empathetic concern), other-oriented; we feel sympathy and compassion for the person in need; motivated to reduce it. Can be influenced by at least four factors: prior experience in a similar situation; (makes it more likely to adopt that person"s perspective, instructions to imagine how the other person is feeling, feeling emotionally close to person. Eg: we know the person or the person is similar to us: individual differences (measured by self report feelings of sympathy and compassion for person in need)