Prosocial Behavior

Is an outgroup member in need a friend indeed? Personal and task-oriented contact as predictors of intergroup prosocial behavior

by Miriam Koschate-Reis

Koschate, M., Oethinger, S., Kuchenbrandt, D., & van Dick, R. (in press). European Journal of Social Psychology.

Intergroup contact, particularly close personal contact, has been shown to improve intergroup relations, mainly by... more Intergroup contact, particularly close personal contact, has been shown to improve intergroup relations, mainly by reducing negative attitudes and emotions toward outgroups. We argue that contact can also increase intergroup prosocial behavior. More specifically, we predict that different forms of contact will differentially impact on prosocial behavior directed at individual outgroup members and outgroups as a whole. Data of two studies (N1 = 264, N2 = 185), conducted with workgroups in two organizations, show that personal contact is a better predictor of prosocial behavior directed at individual outgroup members, whereas task-oriented contact is a better predictor of prosocial behavior directed at an outgroup as a whole. Additionally, Study 2 provides evidence that empathy mediates the path from personal contact to individual-directed prosocial behavior, whereas reward (but not cost) considerations mediate the path from task-oriented contact to outgroup-directed prosocial behavior. Implications for research on intergroup contact and prosocial behavior are discussed

Lending a Helping Hand: Voluntary Engagement In Knowledge Sharing

by Maria Christina Binz-Scharf

Co-authored with Ines Mergel and David Lazer, published 2008 in International Journal of Learning and Change 3(1), pp. 5-22

Knowledge is essential for the functioning of every social system, especially for professionals in knowledge-intensive... more Knowledge is essential for the functioning of every social system, especially for professionals in knowledge-intensive organisations. Since individuals do not possess all the work-related knowledge that they require, they turn to others in search for that knowledge. While prior research has mainly focused on antecedents and consequences of knowledge sharing and understanding why people do not share knowledge, less is known why people provide knowledge, and what conditions trigger voluntary engagement in knowledge sharing. Our article addresses this gap by proposing a multi-level framework for voluntary engagement in knowledge sharing: individual, relational, group, and informational. We provide illustrations from a particular knowledge-intensive community, DNA forensic scientists who work at public laboratories.

The Teacher Altruism Scale: Development, Validity and Reliability

by Halil Eksi

Haluk YAVUZER, Esra İŞMEN-GAZİOĞLU, Arma¤an YILDIZ, İlkay DEMİR, Filiz MEŞECİ, Ayşegül KILIÇASLAN, Çare SERTELİN
Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice
6 (3) • September 2006 • 964-972

The aim of the present study is to develop a self report scale measuring teachers’ altruistic
behaviors. 359... more The aim of the present study is to develop a self report scale measuring teachers’ altruistic
behaviors. 359 teachers participated in the pre-test, criterion validity and test
re-test validity studies. Factor analysis, to test the structural validity, was resulted in 4
factors with 18 items. To test the criterion validity, the Altruism Scale (Akbaba, 1994)
was used as an external criterion. Results showed that total scores of the two scales
correlated (r = 0.60). The internal consistency of the scale is α =0,73. The Guttman
split half coefficient of the scale is =0,78. Test re-test correlation of the total score is
0,88. Results revealed that the psychometric properties of the scale was sufficient.

Why and When Justice Sensitivity Leads to Pro- and Antisocial Behavior.

by Tobias Rothmund

Gollwitzer, M., Rothmund, T., Pfeiffer, A. & Ensenbach, C. (2009).
Journal of Research in Personality, 43(6), 999-1005.

People differ in how sensitive they react towards injustice from a victim’s and from an observer’s perspective.... more People differ in how sensitive they react towards injustice from a victim’s and from an observer’s perspective. Whereas observer sensitivity correlates positively with prosocial and other-oriented behavioral tendencies, victim sensitivity promotes antisocial and egoistic behavior. The present article investigates the psychological processes underlying these effects. Based on the “Sensitivity to Mean Intentions” (SeMI) model, we argue that people high in victim sensitivity are highly responsive towards cues associated with untrustworthiness and the probability of being exploited by others. Thus, people high in victim sensitivity should turn to be uncooperative when confronted with even slight cues of untrustworthiness. People high in observer sensitivity, on the other hand, should be cooperative even when confronted with strong cues of untrustworthiness, due to high internal moral standards. In an online-based public goods game, 324 participants received different information on how many players violated a fairness rule in previous rounds of this kind of game. As hypothesized, victim and observer sensitivity moderated the effects of this experimental manipulation. Additional analyses revealed that these effects cannot be accounted for by individual differences in general trust.

Trajectories of prosocial behavior and physical aggression in middle childhood: Links to adolescent school dropout and physical violence

by Eric Lacourse

Prediction of early-onset deviant peer group affiliation: a 12-year longitudinal study

by Eric Lacourse

Bystanders' Reactions to Bullying: A Cross‐cultural Analysis of Personal Correlates Among Italian and Singaporean Students

by Gianluca Gini

Of blood and death: A test of dual-existential systems in the context of prosocial intentions

by Philip Cozzolino

Blackie, L. E. R., & Cozzolino, P. J. (2011). Psychological Science, 22, 998-1000.

Having less, giving more: The influence of social class on prosocial behavior.

by Michael Kraus

VennMaker para historiadores: fuentes, redes sociales y programas informaticos

by Marten Düring

Co-authored with Matthias Bixler, Michael Kronenwett, Martin Stark, in: Redes. Revista hispana para el análisis de redes sociales, vol.21, Diciembre 2011.

Este artículo explora la aplicabilidad del programa informático VennMaker para la investigación histórica. El artículo... more Este artículo explora la aplicabilidad del programa informático VennMaker para la investigación histórica. El artículo se apoya en dos casos de estudio de investigaciones históricas actuales orientadas a estudiar las redes y que cubren diferentes periodos de tiempo y distintas fuentes. La mayor ventaja de VennMaker es que invierte el proceso de recolección de datos. Mientras que los programas tradicionales utilizan datos pre-codificados para producir el mapa de una red, VennMaker genera los datos mientras que el investigador dibuja los nodos y crea el mapa de una red. Las bases de datos de matrices prefabricadas ya no son necesarias; por lo tanto, el programa puede ser utilizado fácilmente por historiadores que no se han formado en las ciencias sociales. Los dos casos incluyen el análisis de una estructura familiar en la historia antigua y las redes ego-centradas de judíos que se escondían durante el Nacional-Socialismo. Artumentamos que una representación visual de las relaciones sociales ayuda a revelar modelos invisibles y caracerísticas de las redes que ofrecen a los investigadores nuevas perspectivas sobre sus temas de investigación. El programa ofrece una variedad de herramientas para representar las relaciones sociales y su desarrollo a lo largo del tiempo y del espacio.

Altruistische Reziprozität. Empirische Evidenz aus sequenziellen Diktator- und Taking-Spielen bei 11-jährigen Kindern

by Joël Berger

published in Soziale Welt, 2011, 62 (2), 165-184.

Eine grundlegende Frage der Soziologie ist jene nach der Entstehung sozialer Ordnung. Obwohl die Emergenz von... more Eine grundlegende Frage der Soziologie ist jene nach der Entstehung sozialer Ordnung. Obwohl die Emergenz von Kooperationssystemen unter rationale Egoisten möglich ist, stützen jüngere experimentelle Befunde die klassische soziologische Sichtweise, dass eine internalisierte Reziprozitätsnorm einen Beitrag zur Aufrechterhaltung von Kooperationsbeziehungen leistet. Im sequenziellen Diktatorspiel erwidern Versuchspersonen Vorleistungen eines ersten Akteurs auch dann, wenn strategische Motive ausgeschlossen werden können. Der vorliegende Beitrag berichtet die Resultate einer experimentellen Studie, in welcher die These einer Reziprozitätsnorm einem härteren Test unterzogen wird. Einerseits werden die Versuche mit 11-jährigen Schulkindern durchgeführt. Andererseits werden zusätzlich zu den Diktatorspielen sequenzielle Taking-Spiele durchgeführt. Die meisten Kinder erwidern Vorleistungen des ersten Spielers selbst dann, wenn sie seine gesamte Belohnung nehmen könnten. Die Befunde stützen die These, dass altruistische Reziprozität einen Beitrag zur Stabilität sozialer Systeme leistet.

CHI 2010 special interest group: creating prosocial media for children

by Ashley Fenwick-Naditch

VennMaker for Historians: Sources, Social Networks and Software

by Marten Düring

Co-authored with Matthias Bixler, Michael Kronenwett, Martin Stark, in: Redes. Revista hispana para el análisis de redes sociales, vol.21, Diciembre 2011.

This paper explores the applicability of the software VennMaker to historical research. The paper draws on two case... more This paper explores the applicability of the software VennMaker to historical research. The paper draws on two case studies from current network-oriented historical research projects, covering different time periods and sources. VennMaker’s biggest advantage is that it inverts the process of data collection. While traditional software uses pre-coded data to produce a network map, VennMaker generates data while the researcher draws nodes and ties on a network map. Prefabricated data matrices are thus no longer necessary and the software can thus easily be used by historians lacking training in the social sciences. Our two cases include an analysis of a family structure in ancient history and ego-networks of Jews in hiding during National Socialism. We argue that a visual representation of social relations helps to reveal unseen patterns and characteristics of networks and thus offers scholars new perspectives on their subjects of research. The software offers a variety of tools to represent social relations and their development over time and space.

Rubin, M. (2011). Social affiliation cues prime help-seeking intentions. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 43, 138-141.

by Mark Rubin

https://sites.google.com/site/markrubinsocialpsychresearch/

Over and Carpenter (2009) recently found that 18-month old infants who had been primed with a social affiliation cue... more Over and Carpenter (2009) recently found that 18-month old infants who had been primed with a social affiliation cue were more likely to offer to help another person. The present research investigated whether similar affiliation cues affect intentions to seek help, rather than offer help. Undergraduate psychology students (N = 122) were randomly assigned to one of two conditions in which they viewed a photograph of two people who were either holding hands (affiliation condition) or not holding hands (nonaffiliation condition). Participants then indicated their intention to ask other people for help when they worked on a university coursework assignment. Participants in the affiliation condition had significantly stronger intentions to seek help than participants in the nonaffiliation condition. These results are consistent with the idea that social affiliation cues activate a broad prosocial orientation that applies not only to others (i.e., help-giving) but also to the self (i.e., help-seeking). Future research should investigate the potential influence of attachment style on the relationship between affiliation cues, help-giving, and help-seeking.

Active Defending and Passive Bystanding Behavior in Bullying: The Role of Personal Characteristics and Perceived Peer Pressure

by Gianluca Gini

Hilfe für verfolgte Juden im Nationalsozialismus. Biographische und sozialstrukturelle Zugänge am Beispiel der Berliner Helferin Ruth Andreas-Friedrich

by Marten Düring

Co-authored with Susanne Beer. Published in Medaon – Magazin für jüdisches Leben in Forschung und Bildung, 5. Jg., 2011, Nr. 9, S. 1-17.

The journalist Ruth Andreas-Friedrich is one of the few helpers of persecuted Jews in Nazi Germany who kept an... more The journalist Ruth Andreas-Friedrich is one of the few helpers of persecuted Jews in Nazi Germany who kept an extensive record of her actions. Her diary covers her experience of the persecution of many of her Jewish friends and acquaintances, her efforts to support them and the transformation of a circle of like-minded friends into a highly sophisticated and well-connected support network. We combine Andreas-Friedrichs description of herself and her group with the available historical sources. We argue that her non-conformist lifestyle, close ties with victims of persecution and their requests for help, admiration for charismatic helpers together with a like-minded social environment lead her to begin to help others. When most of their Jewish friends and acquaintances had either emigrated or were deported, the group’s activities almost came to a halt. New contacts were brokered by a refugee and one of the group’s members and lead to a second phase of activities in late 1944 and 1945.

Flustered and faithful: Embarrassment as a signal of prosociality

by Matthew Feinberg

Influencia del sexe i l’edat en el Raonament Moral Prosocial dels estudiants de secundària.(Gender and age influence on Pro-Social Moral Reasoning of secondary students)

by Manuel Martí Vilar

Martí Vilar, M. y Palma, J.(2009). Anuari de Psicologia de la Societat Valenciana de Psicologia, 12, 1, 65-85.

RESUM

Aquest treball presenta una aproximació a l'estudi del raonament moral prosocial i de les variables... more RESUM

Aquest treball presenta una aproximació a l'estudi del raonament moral prosocial i de les variables que influeixen en el seu desenvolupament. L'objectiu principal és determinar en quina mesura la variable sexe i la variable edat influixen en el raonament moral prosocial dels adolescents. L'estudi es realitza amb una mostra d'estudiants de Secundària (n=114), homes i dones. Els resultats indiquen que les dos variables analitzades (sexe i edat) tenen un efecte significatiu sobre el raonament moral prosocial. Les dones, davant d'una situació d'ajudar o no l'altre, justifiquen la seua decisió en raons més abstractes i internalitzades, enfront dels homes que se centren en l'aprovació i acceptació dels altres. A mesura que avancen en edat els adolescents presenten nivells de raonament moral prosocial més orientats a valors més abstractes i internalitzats.

ABSTRACT

This essay introduces the study of pro-social moral reasoning and of the variables that influence its development. The main objective is to determine in what measure do the gender and age variables influence pro-social moral reasoning in adolescents. This study is carried out with a group of secondary students (n=114), men and women. The results indicate that the two analyzed variables (gender and age) have a significant effect on pro-social moral reasoning. The women, confronted with a situation whether or not to help another person, justify their decision with more abstract and personal reasons, against the men’s decisions centered on the approval and acceptance of others. As they increase in age, the adolescents show levels of pro-social moral reasoning orientated towards more abstract and personal levels.

The importance of friends and parents in health and academic performance

by Jose A. Piqueras

Reference:
Martínez, A.E., Ingles, C.J., Piqueras, J.A. y Ramos, V. (2010). Importancia de los amigos y los padres en la salud y el rendimiento escolar. Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology, 8, 45-64.

"in Spanish"

Role of prosocial behavior and social relationships in mental and physical well-being of adolescents

by Jose A. Piqueras

Reference: Martínez, A.E., Inglés, C.J., Piqueras, J.A. y Oblitas, L.A. (2010). Papel de la conducta prosocial y de las relaciones sociales en el bienestar psíquico y físico del adolescente. Avances en Psicología Latinoamericana, 28, 74-84.

"in Spanish"

The finding about the role of prosocial behaviour in mental and physical well-being of adolescents have a very clear... more The finding about the role of prosocial behaviour in mental and physical well-being of adolescents have a very clear set of implications in different areas. From our point of view, the biggest impact of this evidence should be given in education. Thus, there is an increasing agreement on the need to encourage in the secondary schools prosocial behaviour styles based on the assertiveness, in order to prevent the occurrence of violent behaviors (gender violence, etc.), and encourage prosocial behaviors with health benefi ts. In this regard, we consider interesting to outline the implementation, in the curricula of primary and secondary education, of a new content, which teaches transversely specifi c skills related to prosocial behavior and the development of emotional intelligence in children and adolescents.