Presentations
Location
Schewel 232
Access Type
Campus Access Only
Entry Number
138
Start Date
4-4-2018 4:15 PM
Department
Psychology
Abstract
Acts of kindness can be linked to a variety of situations in different settings. Understanding specific factors that influence people to act prosocially may impact how often, when, and where one may feel the desire to help. The current study examined the effect of situational contexts, direct versus indirect, on prosocial behavior. Participants consisted of undergraduate students who were asked to read a story about Ann, an 18-year-old girl in need of help. Students were randomly assigned to one of two conditions in which knowledge of a helping situation occurred either through direct or indirect contact. Empathetic and altruistic behaviors were measured using the Questionnaire Measure of Emotional Empathy (Mehrabian & Epstein, 1972) as well as the Self Report Altruism Scale (Rushton, Chrisjohn, & Fekken, 1981). It was hypothesized that individuals would be more likely to help in the situation involving direct interaction due to the personal contact involved. The current research demonstrates that prosocial behavior may be increased simply by understanding the context of a situation.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Marciano
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The Effect of Situational Context on Prosocial Behavior
Schewel 232
Acts of kindness can be linked to a variety of situations in different settings. Understanding specific factors that influence people to act prosocially may impact how often, when, and where one may feel the desire to help. The current study examined the effect of situational contexts, direct versus indirect, on prosocial behavior. Participants consisted of undergraduate students who were asked to read a story about Ann, an 18-year-old girl in need of help. Students were randomly assigned to one of two conditions in which knowledge of a helping situation occurred either through direct or indirect contact. Empathetic and altruistic behaviors were measured using the Questionnaire Measure of Emotional Empathy (Mehrabian & Epstein, 1972) as well as the Self Report Altruism Scale (Rushton, Chrisjohn, & Fekken, 1981). It was hypothesized that individuals would be more likely to help in the situation involving direct interaction due to the personal contact involved. The current research demonstrates that prosocial behavior may be increased simply by understanding the context of a situation.