PSYS 130 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS 100% PASS
What is prosocial behavior? - ✔✔any action that is intended to benefit others
What is prosocial motivated by? - ✔✔Altruism and egoism
What is altruism? - ✔✔-motivation to increase another's welfare without conscious
regard to one's self interest.
-intrinsic motivation to help, even at the cost to self
What is egoism? - ✔✔Motivation to increase one's own welfare; meaning that by
helping others you provide yourself with tangible or intangible benefits.
What is the social exchange hypothesis? - ✔✔Says that there is no such thing as pure
altruism. This states that helping is motivated by a desire to maximize rewards and
minimize costs.
What is the empathy-altruism hypothesis? - ✔✔States that when we feel empathy we
attempt to help that person for only altruisic reasons.
What were participants asked to do in Toi & Batson (1982): study? - ✔✔-Participants
were asked to help a girl named carol who couldn't attend lectures because she had lost
her legs.
-Aim of this study was to see if participants would help carol by writing to her, meeting
with her, and sharing lecture notes.
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,What were the independent variables of the Toi & Batson (1982) study? - ✔✔-
Independent variable A: Empathy - condition 1: participants were asked to focus on
carol's feelings (high empathy condition) - condition 2: participants were not asked to
focus on her feelings (low empathy condition)
-independent variable B: High or low cost- condition 1: high cost: carol would be in
class. it would be embarrassing to deny her lecture notes
-condition 2: low cost: carol wouldn't be in class
What were the results of the Toi and Batson (1982) study? - ✔✔-Results: High empathy
group were equally likely to help in either condition
-The low empathy group was more likely to help Carol in the high cost condition
What was the evaluation of the Toi and Batson (1982) study? - ✔✔- Evaluation:
Batson's findings have been consistently replicated, so it appears that the theory of
empathy-altruism is consistent with its predictions that helping behavior based on
empathy is unselfish.
What are some problems with the Toi and Batson (1982) study? - ✔✔only investigated
short-term altruism, and the interpretation of the results has not taken personality
factors into account. This could be seen as a weakness of the explanation.
- Though Batson's model makes it easier to predict behavior, it is difficult to measure
one's level of empathy. Batson argues that empathy is an innate trait in all of us, but it is
not clear why we do not experience a predictable level of empathy in a given situation.
What is the feel good-do good effect and how does this effect prosocial behavior? -
✔✔The better a mood someone is in, the more likely they are to help another person
What is the Isen and Levin (1972) study and what effect does it test for? - ✔✔Tests for
the feel good-do good effect; staged a helping opportunity where a man drops his
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,manila folder filled with papers by accident. To influence the mood of the stranger,
experimenters left a dime in a telephone change slot and waited for people to find it.
84% of those who found the dime stopped and helped the man. 4% who didn't find the
dime still helped the man.
What is the negative state-relief hypothesis? - ✔✔Feel bad-do good hypothesis: negative
mood most likely increases helping because helping makes them feel better.
What is the Thompson et al (1980) study? - ✔✔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 (Other-focus)
-Researchers found that the 2 sets of participants agreed to help
-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
What are 3 evolutionary theories that explain prosocial behavior? - ✔✔Kin selection,
signaling theory, social norms and customs
Kin selection theory - ✔✔idea that we are more likely to provide help to family
members/genetic relatives
signaling theory - ✔✔Behaving generously implies other favorable characteristics
What are some social norms and customs that help us evolutionary explain prosocial
behavior? - ✔✔help explain prosocial behavior; 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
what is indirect reciprocity? - ✔✔One individual acts as a donor, the other as a recipient
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, Benefactor and beneficiary will never meet
How does the Benner et al (2004) study explain reciprocity norm? - ✔✔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
What is the norm of fairness or Equity Theory? - ✔✔Expectation that you'll receive what
you contribute
What is the Brosnan & DeWaal (2003) study and what does this say about the Equity
theory? - ✔✔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)
Effect was even amplified if they witnessed other monkey receive prize w/ no effort at
all
BUT monkeys were okay if given one token for cucumber, two for grapes (i.e. give one
rock = one cucumber slice) b/c this justified getting a more valuable prize for more
effort
Enhanced people's confidence that public goods would be distributed fairly among
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
AND ANSWERS 100% PASS
What is prosocial behavior? - ✔✔any action that is intended to benefit others
What is prosocial motivated by? - ✔✔Altruism and egoism
What is altruism? - ✔✔-motivation to increase another's welfare without conscious
regard to one's self interest.
-intrinsic motivation to help, even at the cost to self
What is egoism? - ✔✔Motivation to increase one's own welfare; meaning that by
helping others you provide yourself with tangible or intangible benefits.
What is the social exchange hypothesis? - ✔✔Says that there is no such thing as pure
altruism. This states that helping is motivated by a desire to maximize rewards and
minimize costs.
What is the empathy-altruism hypothesis? - ✔✔States that when we feel empathy we
attempt to help that person for only altruisic reasons.
What were participants asked to do in Toi & Batson (1982): study? - ✔✔-Participants
were asked to help a girl named carol who couldn't attend lectures because she had lost
her legs.
-Aim of this study was to see if participants would help carol by writing to her, meeting
with her, and sharing lecture notes.
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,What were the independent variables of the Toi & Batson (1982) study? - ✔✔-
Independent variable A: Empathy - condition 1: participants were asked to focus on
carol's feelings (high empathy condition) - condition 2: participants were not asked to
focus on her feelings (low empathy condition)
-independent variable B: High or low cost- condition 1: high cost: carol would be in
class. it would be embarrassing to deny her lecture notes
-condition 2: low cost: carol wouldn't be in class
What were the results of the Toi and Batson (1982) study? - ✔✔-Results: High empathy
group were equally likely to help in either condition
-The low empathy group was more likely to help Carol in the high cost condition
What was the evaluation of the Toi and Batson (1982) study? - ✔✔- Evaluation:
Batson's findings have been consistently replicated, so it appears that the theory of
empathy-altruism is consistent with its predictions that helping behavior based on
empathy is unselfish.
What are some problems with the Toi and Batson (1982) study? - ✔✔only investigated
short-term altruism, and the interpretation of the results has not taken personality
factors into account. This could be seen as a weakness of the explanation.
- Though Batson's model makes it easier to predict behavior, it is difficult to measure
one's level of empathy. Batson argues that empathy is an innate trait in all of us, but it is
not clear why we do not experience a predictable level of empathy in a given situation.
What is the feel good-do good effect and how does this effect prosocial behavior? -
✔✔The better a mood someone is in, the more likely they are to help another person
What is the Isen and Levin (1972) study and what effect does it test for? - ✔✔Tests for
the feel good-do good effect; staged a helping opportunity where a man drops his
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,manila folder filled with papers by accident. To influence the mood of the stranger,
experimenters left a dime in a telephone change slot and waited for people to find it.
84% of those who found the dime stopped and helped the man. 4% who didn't find the
dime still helped the man.
What is the negative state-relief hypothesis? - ✔✔Feel bad-do good hypothesis: negative
mood most likely increases helping because helping makes them feel better.
What is the Thompson et al (1980) study? - ✔✔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 (Other-focus)
-Researchers found that the 2 sets of participants agreed to help
-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
What are 3 evolutionary theories that explain prosocial behavior? - ✔✔Kin selection,
signaling theory, social norms and customs
Kin selection theory - ✔✔idea that we are more likely to provide help to family
members/genetic relatives
signaling theory - ✔✔Behaving generously implies other favorable characteristics
What are some social norms and customs that help us evolutionary explain prosocial
behavior? - ✔✔help explain prosocial behavior; 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
what is indirect reciprocity? - ✔✔One individual acts as a donor, the other as a recipient
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, Benefactor and beneficiary will never meet
How does the Benner et al (2004) study explain reciprocity norm? - ✔✔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
What is the norm of fairness or Equity Theory? - ✔✔Expectation that you'll receive what
you contribute
What is the Brosnan & DeWaal (2003) study and what does this say about the Equity
theory? - ✔✔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)
Effect was even amplified if they witnessed other monkey receive prize w/ no effort at
all
BUT monkeys were okay if given one token for cucumber, two for grapes (i.e. give one
rock = one cucumber slice) b/c this justified getting a more valuable prize for more
effort
Enhanced people's confidence that public goods would be distributed fairly among
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
