Antisocial and prosocial behaviour

• What is antisocial behaviour?


  Voluntary, intentional behaviour designed to hurt or cause distress to another person.
• What are the factors influencing antisocial behaviour?

  • Diffusion of responsibility
  • Audience inhibition
  • Social influence
  • Cost-benefit analysis
  • Groupthink
• What is a bystander?


  A person who is present at an event or incident but does not take part.
• What is diffusion of responsibility?


  It is the tendency to divide responsibility for help by the number of people present.
• How does group size affect the likelihood of intervention during an emergency?


  The likelihood of someone intervening decreases as the group size increases.
• What is audience inhibition?


  It is when people feel inhibited to intervene due to fear of negative evaluation by others.
• What are two fears that contribute to audience inhibition?


  Fear of misinterpreting the situation and fear of negative association with the problem.
• What is social influence?


  It is the impact of others that leads us to change our thoughts, feelings, or behaviour.
• What did Platow's 2005 study find about group influence?


  Students identified more with their group and rated jokes as funnier when they believed the laughter came from their peers.
• What is cost-benefit analysis in the context of bystander behaviour?


  It suggests that a bystander weighs the costs and benefits of helping versus not helping.
• What is groupthink?


  It occurs when a group makes irrational decisions due to the urge to conform.
• How can high stress contribute to groupthink?


  High stress can lead to fast decision-making, which may result in groupthink.
• What is the bystander effect?


  A person is less likely to help in an emergency if other people are present.
• What was the aim of Darley and Latane's 1968 study 'The Smoky Room'?


  To measure the influence of group inhibition on bystanders in an emergency.
• What is the independent variable in the Smoky Room experiment?

  The number of bystanders present.
• What is the dependent variable in the Smoky Room experiment?


  The amount of time taken for an individual to report the emergency.
• How did Darley and Latane define diffusion of responsibility?


  Individuals feel less responsible to act when others are present.
• What was the hypothesis of the Smoky Room experiment?


  Passive behaviour from witnesses will indicate to an individual that the event is not dangerous.
• What were the conditions of the Smoky Room experiment?


  • Subjects placed in a fake emergency with smoke.
  • Different group dynamics were tested.
  • Smoke was harmless (steam).
• What were the results of the first experimental condition in the Smoky Room experiment?


  50% reported the smoke within two minutes, and 75% within six minutes.
• What happened in the second experimental condition of the Smoky Room experiment?


  One subject and two indifferent actors resulted in only 10% reporting the smoke.
• What were the results of the third experimental condition in the Smoky Room experiment?


  Only 38% of subjects reported the smoke despite severe conditions.
• What did participants report in interviews after the Smoky Room experiment?


  Participants felt hesitant and looked to others for signs of stress.
• What is the application of the Smoky Room experiment?


  • Sheds light on group behaviours in emergencies.
  • Explains why bystanders may not help.
  • Highlights the role of social cues in decision-making.
• What are the limitations of the Smoky Room experiment?


  • Original account of Kitty Genovese's murder questioned.
  • Implications of Darley and Latane's research are debated.
• What is bullying?


  A form of aggressive behaviour where one person intentionally causes injury or discomfort to another.
• What is a common element of all bullying?


  The perception that one individual has more power over another.
• In what settings can bullying occur?


  Schools, clubs, workplaces, families, neighborhoods, universities, prisons, and online.
• What are the different ways bullying can be perpetrated?

  Bullying can be physical, verbal, relational, or cyber.
• How can bystanders influence bullying behaviour?


  Bystanders can either strengthen or weaken the culture of bullying based on their actions.
• What is mobbing?


  A group perpetrates bullying against an individual.
• What is cyberbullying?


  The sending of hurtful or threatening messages via the internet.
• What are the effects of bullying on victims?


  Victims are at risk of anxiety, stress, and even suicide.
• What is prosocial behaviour?


  Voluntary helping behaviour intended to benefit others.
• What are examples of prosocial behaviours?


  • Charity
  • Rescuing
  • Sacrificing
  • Sharing
  • Expressing sympathy
  • Aiding/assisting
• Why do people exhibit prosocial behaviour?


  Society expects prosocial behaviour to be normal and may reward it.
• What is the biological perspective on prosocial behaviour?


  It views prosocial behaviour as genetic, where humans naturally help others.
• What is the environmental perspective on prosocial behaviour?


  It views prosocial behaviour as learned during socialisation through conditioning and observational learning.
• What is the interactionist perspective on prosocial behaviour?


  It suggests that we may be born with an innate tendency to help, shaped by social learning.
• What are the factors influencing prosocial behaviour?

  • Reciprocity principle
  • Social responsibility
  • Personal characteristics (empathy, mood, competence)
  • Altruism