Separating altruistic and egoistic motives for helping: An individual difference approach
Abstract
This research examined Agreeableness and altruistic and egoistic motives for helping. The studies used criteria outlined by Batson (1986) to examine whether Agreeableness was systematically related to altruistic or egoistic motives. Study 1 (N = 356) manipulated the ease of escaping the helping situation. Consistent with Batson’s analysis, in helping situations that were easy to escape, for individuals low in Agreeableness helping increased with increasing levels of empathic concern. Less consistent with Batson’s analysis, for individuals high in Agreeableness, empathic concern and personal distress interacted to determine rates of helping. Study 2 (N = 341) found that outcomes of Study replicated across manipulations of perspective taking. Taken together, results suggested that prosocial motives may work differently in different types of people. Results were discussed in terms of pluralistic motives for helping, and how these motives may combine to influence prosocial behavior.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Graziano, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Social psychology|Personality psychology
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