PSYS 130 - Final Exam Questions and
Answers 100% Pass
Chapter 11: Prosocial Behavior - ✔✔Any action intended to benefit others
Altruism - ✔✔-Selfless concern for the welfare of others
-Intrinsic motivation to help, even at cost to self
-Motive is to increase another welfare, without conscious regard to one's self interest
-Ex: heroes of 9/11
Egoism - ✔✔-Motive is to increase one's own welfare
-Helping behavior provides tangible or intangible benefits to the helper
Bobby Green Example - ✔✔-During LA Riots, there was a black motorist who was
pulled over by white police ---> excessive force used
-Went to trial and police were requited even w/ evidence
-Other acts of racism came to life during trial ---> people upset, day long riots occurred
-White truck driver was pulled out of truck and beaten severely
-Bobby Green (black) saw this on TV and raced down the street to help trucker --->
despite not even knowing him and risking his own life
Social Exchange Theory - ✔✔-Helping is motivated by a desire to maximize rewards
and minimize costs in relationships
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,-No such thing as true altruism
Lincoln Helping Pigs Example - ✔✔-Pig lost its babies in a creek
-Lincoln jumped in and saved baby pigs
-Someone said this was true altruism
-But Lincoln said: "no, no I did it because if I didn't, then I would've been upset all day.
I am selfish"
-i.e. only helped to benefit himself
Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis - ✔✔-When we feel empathy for a person, we'll attempt
to help that person purely for altruistic reasons
-There is such a thing as true altruism
Give Carol Notes Example - ✔✔-Evaluation of some recordings for campus radio
station
-Each person got same story about Carol in your class, who got in car accident and is
now behind in work
-ONE GROUP: when listening, told to just make objective evaluation
-SECOND GROUP: told to imagine how Carol feels (Empathy Group)
-Teacher left a note asking to help Carol by giving her your entire notebook
anonymously
-ONE GROUP: Carol will be in class ("guilty")
-OTHER GROUP: Carol finishing semester at home
-LOW + HIGH EMPATHY, SEE her in class = 80% help
-LOW EMPATHY, NO CLASS = 35% help (suggests social exchange theory)
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,-HIGH EMPATHY, NO CLASS = 80% help too
Effect of Mood on Prosocial Behavior: "Feel Good- Do Good Hypothesis" - ✔✔-You're
more likely to help other people when you're already in a good mood
File Folder and Payphone Study Example - ✔✔-Payphone rigged so it would sometimes
have left over change in it
-Some participants had a dime = good mood
-Then stranger needed help (dropped all papers on the ground)
-Striking difference when person was in good mood
-4% helped w/ no dime; 80% helped w/ dime
Negative State Relief Hypothesis ("Feel Bad - Do Good Hypothesis) - ✔✔-Guilt or
negative mood is more likely to increase helping
Exceptions to Feel Bad - Do Good Hypothesis - ✔✔1) Anger
2) Profound grief
Confession Study Example - ✔✔-People walking to confession (guilty)
-People walking out of confession (less guilty)
-Person soliciting for charity outside of church
-Guilty people a lot more likely to donate money
Dying Friend Study Example - ✔✔-Group told sad story about their friend dying of
cancer and asked to think of how sad you'll feel while they died (Self-Focus)
-Another group told sad story where they're the friend dying and asked to think how
sad it is not knowing when you'll die
-Researchers found that the 2 sets of participants agreed to help
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, -25% of self-focus; 83% of other-focus
-When you self-focus, it takes you out of prosocial group i.e. less likely to help others
Evolutionary Explanations for Prosocial Behavior: Kin Selection - ✔✔-Idea that
behaviors that help a genetic relative are favored by natural selection
Signaling Theory - ✔✔-Behaving generously implies other favorable characteristics
-Shows that you have other positive, appealing traits
Social Responsibility Norm - ✔✔-Expectation that people will help those needing help
Reciprocity Norm - ✔✔-Expectation that helping others will increase the likelihood that
they will help us in the future
Indirect Reciprocity - ✔✔-One individual acts as a donor, the other as a recipient
-Benefactor and beneficiary will never meet
Dictator Game Study Example - ✔✔-Participants asked how much $ out of $10 they
wanted to share with partner
-Felt obligated, so most gave $2-3
-Manipulation Group: told their partner had gotten same $10 and told that they shared
a certain amount
-Person would give what the partner gave to them
Norm of Fairness (Equity Norm) - ✔✔-Expectation that you'll receive what you
contribute
Monkey Cucumber and Grapes Study - ✔✔-Monkeys refused to participate in study
when they saw another monkey receiving more valuable prize (grape rather than
cucumber) for the same task (give rock)
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
Answers 100% Pass
Chapter 11: Prosocial Behavior - ✔✔Any action intended to benefit others
Altruism - ✔✔-Selfless concern for the welfare of others
-Intrinsic motivation to help, even at cost to self
-Motive is to increase another welfare, without conscious regard to one's self interest
-Ex: heroes of 9/11
Egoism - ✔✔-Motive is to increase one's own welfare
-Helping behavior provides tangible or intangible benefits to the helper
Bobby Green Example - ✔✔-During LA Riots, there was a black motorist who was
pulled over by white police ---> excessive force used
-Went to trial and police were requited even w/ evidence
-Other acts of racism came to life during trial ---> people upset, day long riots occurred
-White truck driver was pulled out of truck and beaten severely
-Bobby Green (black) saw this on TV and raced down the street to help trucker --->
despite not even knowing him and risking his own life
Social Exchange Theory - ✔✔-Helping is motivated by a desire to maximize rewards
and minimize costs in relationships
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,-No such thing as true altruism
Lincoln Helping Pigs Example - ✔✔-Pig lost its babies in a creek
-Lincoln jumped in and saved baby pigs
-Someone said this was true altruism
-But Lincoln said: "no, no I did it because if I didn't, then I would've been upset all day.
I am selfish"
-i.e. only helped to benefit himself
Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis - ✔✔-When we feel empathy for a person, we'll attempt
to help that person purely for altruistic reasons
-There is such a thing as true altruism
Give Carol Notes Example - ✔✔-Evaluation of some recordings for campus radio
station
-Each person got same story about Carol in your class, who got in car accident and is
now behind in work
-ONE GROUP: when listening, told to just make objective evaluation
-SECOND GROUP: told to imagine how Carol feels (Empathy Group)
-Teacher left a note asking to help Carol by giving her your entire notebook
anonymously
-ONE GROUP: Carol will be in class ("guilty")
-OTHER GROUP: Carol finishing semester at home
-LOW + HIGH EMPATHY, SEE her in class = 80% help
-LOW EMPATHY, NO CLASS = 35% help (suggests social exchange theory)
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,-HIGH EMPATHY, NO CLASS = 80% help too
Effect of Mood on Prosocial Behavior: "Feel Good- Do Good Hypothesis" - ✔✔-You're
more likely to help other people when you're already in a good mood
File Folder and Payphone Study Example - ✔✔-Payphone rigged so it would sometimes
have left over change in it
-Some participants had a dime = good mood
-Then stranger needed help (dropped all papers on the ground)
-Striking difference when person was in good mood
-4% helped w/ no dime; 80% helped w/ dime
Negative State Relief Hypothesis ("Feel Bad - Do Good Hypothesis) - ✔✔-Guilt or
negative mood is more likely to increase helping
Exceptions to Feel Bad - Do Good Hypothesis - ✔✔1) Anger
2) Profound grief
Confession Study Example - ✔✔-People walking to confession (guilty)
-People walking out of confession (less guilty)
-Person soliciting for charity outside of church
-Guilty people a lot more likely to donate money
Dying Friend Study Example - ✔✔-Group told sad story about their friend dying of
cancer and asked to think of how sad you'll feel while they died (Self-Focus)
-Another group told sad story where they're the friend dying and asked to think how
sad it is not knowing when you'll die
-Researchers found that the 2 sets of participants agreed to help
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, -25% of self-focus; 83% of other-focus
-When you self-focus, it takes you out of prosocial group i.e. less likely to help others
Evolutionary Explanations for Prosocial Behavior: Kin Selection - ✔✔-Idea that
behaviors that help a genetic relative are favored by natural selection
Signaling Theory - ✔✔-Behaving generously implies other favorable characteristics
-Shows that you have other positive, appealing traits
Social Responsibility Norm - ✔✔-Expectation that people will help those needing help
Reciprocity Norm - ✔✔-Expectation that helping others will increase the likelihood that
they will help us in the future
Indirect Reciprocity - ✔✔-One individual acts as a donor, the other as a recipient
-Benefactor and beneficiary will never meet
Dictator Game Study Example - ✔✔-Participants asked how much $ out of $10 they
wanted to share with partner
-Felt obligated, so most gave $2-3
-Manipulation Group: told their partner had gotten same $10 and told that they shared
a certain amount
-Person would give what the partner gave to them
Norm of Fairness (Equity Norm) - ✔✔-Expectation that you'll receive what you
contribute
Monkey Cucumber and Grapes Study - ✔✔-Monkeys refused to participate in study
when they saw another monkey receiving more valuable prize (grape rather than
cucumber) for the same task (give rock)
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
