REVIEW Prosocial Relations

Learning Objectives

Test Yourself by taking a moment to answer each of these Learning Objective Questions (repeated here from within the module). Research suggests that trying to answer these questions on your own will improve your long-term memory of the concepts (McDaniel et al., 2009).

Question

37-1 Why do we befriend or fall in love with some people but not others?

ANSWER: Proximity (geographical nearness) increases liking, in part because of the mere exposure effect—exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of those stimuli. Physical attractiveness increases social opportunities and improves the way we are perceived. Similarity of attitudes and interests greatly increases liking, especially as relationships develop. We also like those who like us.

Question

37-2 How does romantic love typically change as time passes?

ANSWER: Intimate love relationships start with passionate love—an intensely aroused state. Over time, the strong affection of companionate love may develop, especially if enhanced by an equitable relationship and by intimate self-disclosure.

Question

37-3 When are people most—and least—likely to help?

ANSWER: Altruism is unselfish regard for the well-being of others. We are most likely to help when we (a) notice an incident, (b) interpret it as an emergency, and (c) assume responsibility for helping. Other factors, including our mood and our similarity to the victim, also affect our willingness to help. We are least likely to help if other bystanders are present (the bystander effect).

Question

37-4 How do social exchange theory and social norms explain helping behavior?

ANSWER: Social exchange theory is the view that we help others because it is in our own self-interest; in this view, the goal of social behavior is maximizing personal benefits and minimizing costs. Others believe that helping results from socialization, in which we are taught guidelines for expected behaviors in social situations, such as the reciprocity norm and the social-responsibility norm.

Question

37-5 How do social traps and mirror-image perceptions fuel social conflict?

ANSWER: A conflict is a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas. Social traps are situations in which people in conflict pursue their own individual self-interest, harming the collective well-being. Individuals and cultures in conflict also tend to form mirror-image perceptions: Each party views the opponent as untrustworthy and evil-intentioned, and itself as an ethical, peaceful victim. Perceptions can become self-fulfilling prophecies.

Question

37-6 How can we transform feelings of prejudice, aggression, and conflict into attitudes that promote peace?

ANSWER: Peace can result when individuals or groups work together to achieve superordinate (shared) goals. Research indicates that four processes—contact, cooperation, communication, and conciliation—help promote peace.

Terms and Concepts to Remember

Test yourself on these terms.

Question

mere exposure effect (p. 475)
passionate love (p. 479)
companionate love (p. 480)
equity (p. 480)
self-disclosure (p. 480)
altruism (p. 481)
bystander effect (p. 482)
social exchange theory (p. 483)
reciprocity norm (p. 483)
social-responsibility norm (p. 484)
conflict (p. 484)
social trap (p. 484)
mirror-image perceptions (p. 485)
self-fulfilling prophecy (p. 485)
superordinate goals (p. 486)
GRIT (p. 488)
mutual views often held by conflicting people, as when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive.
the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present.
unselfish regard for the welfare of others.
the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them.
Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-Reduction—a strategy designed to decrease international tensions.
the act of revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others.
a belief that leads to its own fulfillment.
the deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined.
shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation.
the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs.
an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them.
a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it.
a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas.
a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each pursuing their self-interest rather than the good of the group, become caught in mutually destructive behavior.
an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship.
an expectation that people will help those needing their help.

Experience the Testing Effect

Test yourself repeatedly throughout your studies. This will not only help you figure out what you know and don’t know; the testing itself will help you learn and remember the information more effectively thanks to the testing effect.

Question 12.17

1. The more familiar a stimulus becomes, the more we tend to like it. This exemplifies the effect.

Question 12.18

2. A happy couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary is likely to experience deep love, even though their love has probably decreased over the years.

Question 12.19

3. After vigorous exercise, you meet an attractive person, and you are suddenly seized by romantic feelings for that person. This response supports the two-factor theory of emotion, which assumes that emotions, such as passionate love, consist of physical arousal plus

A.
B.
C.
D.

Question 12.20

4. The bystander effect states that a particular bystander is less likely to give aid if

A.
B.
C.
D.

Question 12.21

5. Our enemies often have many of the same negative impressions of us as we have of them. This exemplifies the concept of perceptions.

Question 12.22

6. One way of resolving conflicts and fostering cooperation is by giving rival groups shared goals that help them override their differences. These are called goals.

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