xv, 175 p. : ill. A print copy of this title is available through the UO Libraries under the call number: KNIGHT HM1033 .D535 2008 / Emotional reactions are a critical element in the motivation to help others. For the purpose of the current research, these reactions are broadly conceptualized as focused either on the self or on other human beings. Self-focused affect (e.g., anticipated regret) motivates helping through the reduction of an unpleasant emotional state, whereas other- focused affect (e.g., sympathy) motivates helping due to concern for the victim. This dissertation investigates the role of affective vs. deliberative information processing in the genesis and use of emotional reactions in decisions to provide financial aid to people in distress. In five studies, a model of affective vs. deliberative information processing is examined within the domain of prosocial behavior. Three main hypotheses investigated whether information processing mode influenced participants' donations, affective reactions, and the relationship between affective reactions and donations. Processing mode was manipulated by a cognitive load paradigm, a priming procedure, the number and identifiability of victims, serial vs. single presentations, and the addition of background statistics related to the victim's situation. Furthermore, participants' ability to visually focus on a single target presented with and without distractor victims was investigated as part of an attentional mechanism that generates affective responses. The results supported a model in which deliberative processing has potentially disruptive effects on the generation of other-focused affect and on the extent to which these types of emotions predicted donations. The importance of other-focused affect in donation decisions was augmented by reducing deliberative capacity, priming affective processing, and increasing the affective salience of victims by identifying them. The influence of self-focused affect on donations was robust to changes in information processing mode and appeared to be governed by different mechanisms than other-focused affect. Humanitarian aid organizations should be sensitive to these issues when eliciting donations from potential donors. Implications and future research are discussed. / Adviser: Paul Slovic

Providing of assistance can be divided into short-term, unplanned and planned and long-term - this form is defined as a volunteering. Volunteering, as a type of prosocial behavior is widespread in the world. Importance of voluntary movement increased rapidly in the Czech Republic in recent years. As an evidence for it is the addition of volunteer centers and other organizations and Act No. 198/2002 Coll. concerning volunteer service. For this reason, the author decided to find factors related to prosocial behavior in persons with long-term, systematic and selfless behavior, which they devote to activities for the benefit of other people, it means volunteers. The author carried out a quantitative research using methods of interviewing, anonymous questionnaire technique (specifically inventory supplemented by other questions). The group was established by quota random sample where quota was sex, voluntary activity and its length. The sample was consisted of a target group of volunteers from throughout the Czech Republic. Research has shown that the most common motive for volunteering is to help others and meet new people, gain new experiences. It was further shown that in the motivation structure of the volunteers (six basic motives influencing the voluntary behavior) was the most represented motive career ? to gain an experience for a his or her career. The benefit of this thesis is to determine the incentive structure of volunteers from health and social institutions, and volunteers from the sporting and educational activities.

La culpabilité est une émotion introspective résultant de la réflexion sur l'association entre le soi et ses propres torts. Parce que la culpabilité montre les aspects probablement désagréables du soi, les individus sont motivés à se déculpabiliser. D'après les théories traditionnelles de la culpabilité, la culpabilité vient de processus cognitifs de haut niveau et son intensité dépend du niveau d'attribution de la faute au soi. Ces théories, fondées sur les théories standards de cognition, soulignent les aspects intellectuels et rationnels de la culpabilité. Les théories de l'embodiment rejettent la séparation entre les états corporels et situationnels et la connaissance. Les stimuli sociaux peuvent produire des états somatiques et susciter des réponses dans le soi. Les états corporels et viscéraux du soi peuvent susciter des états affectifs. Selon les théories personnifiées, la culpabilité doit aussi être influencée par des états corporels et situationnels. Nos études ont visé à comprendre les influences des facteurs corporels et contextuels sur la culpabilité et la déculpabilisation. Une première étude (N=65) a comparé l'efficacité de l'observation et de la personnification de nettoyage sur la déculpabilisation. Les résultats ont montré que (a) l'observation de nettoyage a pu déculpabiliser les individus et les conduire à se comporter moins prosocialement mais qu'elle était moins efficace que la personnification de nettoyage ; (b) la personnification du concept de nettoyage a pu apaiser les jugements moraux sévères. Deux études (N=393) ont ensuite exploré l'effet de l'approbation sociale sur la déculpabilisation au moyen de la personnification du concept de la propreté. Les résultats ont montré que l'approbation sociale était un facteur important dans la personnification du concept de la propreté et qu'elle a pu modérer l'effet du concept de propreté sur la déculpabilisation. Deux études (N=141) ont enfin analysé l'effet de l'épuisement et de la restauration d'énergie sur la culpabilité et la déculpabilisation. Les résultats ont montré que l'épuisement a diminué le sentiment de culpabilité puis le comportement prosocial, et que la restauration d'énergie a pu restaurer la capacité d'éprouver de la culpabilité. Nos travaux montrent que, la culpabilité est une émotion morale et prosociale qui est dépendante de facteurs corporels et situationnels. Des changements de statuts corporels et contextuels peuvent contribuer à déculpabiliser les individus. / Guilt is an introspective emotion resulting from the reflection on the association between the self and one's own wrongs. Because guilt shows the undesirable aspects of the self, people are motivated not to feel guilt. According to traditional theories of guilt, guilt comes from high-level cognitive processes and its intensity depends on the extent to which the fault is attributed to the self. These theories, which are based on standard theories of cognition, emphasize the intellectual and rational aspect of guilt. Embodied theories reject the separation between situational and bodily states and knowledge. Social stimuli can produce somatic states and elicit responses in the self. The visceral and bodily states in the self can generate affective states. According to embodied theories, guilt could also be influenced by bodily and situational states. Our research aimed to understand the influences of bodily and contextual factors on guilt and reducing guilt. One study (N = 65) compared the efficacy of observation of cleansing and the embodied cleaning on reducing guilt. The results showed that the observation of cleaning could make people feel less guilty and lead them to behave less prosocially. But it was less effective than embodied cleansing. Two studies (N = 393) explored the effect of social approval on reducing guilt through the embodiment of the concept of cleanliness. The results showed that social approval was an important factor in embodiment of the concept of cleanliness and it could moderate the effect of the concept of cleanliness on removing guilt. Two studies (N = 141) studied the effect of depletion and restoration of energy on guilt and reducing guilt. The results showed that depletion could reduce guilt feelings and subsequent prosocial behavior and that restoration of energy could restore the ability to feel guilt. In conclusion, guilt is a moral and prosocial emotion which is dependent on bodily and situational factors. Changes in bodily and contextual states can cause people to feel less guilty.

Submitted by Isaac Francisco de Souza Dias (isaac.souzadias@ufpe.br) on 2016-02-29T18:48:13Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) DISSERTAÇÃO Michelle França Dourado Neto Pires.pdf: 1526733 bytes, checksum: 5a987b3d94478e859f4080f2e1d98938 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-29T18:48:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) DISSERTAÇÃO Michelle França Dourado Neto Pires.pdf: 1526733 bytes, checksum: 5a987b3d94478e859f4080f2e1d98938 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-20 / CAPES / O desenvolvimento da autoconsciência é considerado como um grande marco no desenvolvimento humano, pois permite que o indivíduo consiga se diferenciar das outras pessoas. Esse senso de diferenciação do self é supostamente apontado como estando entrelaçado ao desenvolvimento da empatia. Além disso, no estado autoconsciente o sujeito é capaz de acessar mais facilmente os padrões de correção que regulamentam a vida em sociedade. Desse modo, o presente estudo possuiu como objetivo principal verificar as possíveis relações entre Autoconsciência, Comportamento Pró-social e Empatia durante a infância, além de verificar como o sexo e a idade afetam cada uma dessas variáveis. Participaram desta pesquisa 70 crianças, entre 5 e 10 anos, estudantes de duas escolas particulares na cidade de Petrolina-PE. Para alcançar os objetivos da presente pesquisa, foram utilizados três instrumentos, os quais foram: uma tarefa com o uso de espelhos para medir Autoconsciência, o jogo ditatorial para mensurar Comportamento pró-social, e duas historinhas com o uso de figuras para medir empatia. Os dados provenientes desse estudo, por sua vez, foram analisados através de análises não-paramétricas, bem como de análises escalonares multidimensionais. Os resultados de modo geral, demonstraram que o sexo não exerce influência em relação ao comportamento pró-social e empatia. Por outro lado, foi encontrado que quanto maior a idade maior o nível de empatia, de autoconsciência e maior a emissão de comportamento pró-social. Por fim, foi verificada uma correlação positiva entre empatia e autoconsciência, indicando que a medida que a autoconsciência aumenta ocorre também um crescimento na empatia. Esses resultados são discutidos frente às teorias de Duval e Wicklund, Eisenberg, e Hoffman e à revisão de literatura pertinente a cada um desses constructos. / Self-awareness development is considered a key of human development, to allow an individual to be able to differentiate himself from others. This sense of differentiation from oneself is supposedly appointed as being intercrossed to empathy development. Furthermore, at self-awareness state the subject is able to access more easily the standards of correction that regulates social life. Thereby, this study has as the main aim to verify the possible relations between Self-awareness, Prosocial behavior and empathy during infancy, as well as verifying how the sex and age affect each one of these variables. The participants in this research were 70 children, between 5 and 10 years old, students of two private schools in the city of Petrolina, PE. In order to achieve the aims of this research, three instruments were utilized, they were: a task with mirrors usage to measure Self-awareness, a dictation game to measure Prosocial behavior and two stories with illustrations to measure empathy. Data from this study was analyzed by Non-parametric analysis such as multidimensional scaling analysis. The results, altogether, show that sex does not prosecute influence relation to self-awareness, prosocial behavior, and empathy. On the other hand, it was found that the higher the age, the higher the empathy and self-awareness, and the emission of prosocial behavior. Ultimately, a positive correlation between empathy and self-awareness was verified, indicating that the more self-awareness increases, an increase on empathy occurs. These results are discussed on Duval and Wicklund, Eisnberg, and Hoffman theories support and the pertinent to which one construct literature review support.

abstract: Opioid use rates and related deaths continue to be a public health crisis; while there are many contributing factors to opioid use disorders, criteria for diagnosis include problems related to social functioning. Previous research indicates that laboratory rats, which are frequently used as animal models of addiction-related behaviors, are capable of prosocial behavior. The following collection of studies were performed to determine the effects of heroin on prosocial behavior in rats, as well as the role of the insula in both self-administration of heroin and prosocial behaviors. All of the experiments were conducted utilizing an established model of prosocial behavior in rats in which a performing rat releases a cagemate from a restrainer. The occurrence of and latency to free the confined rat was recorded. After baseline rescuing behavior was established, rats were allowed to self-administer heroin (0.06 mg/kg/infusion i.v.), and subsequent experimental conditions were imposed. Experimental conditions, in a series of different studies, included comparing heroin reinforcers with sucrose, chemogenetically modulating the insular cortex (both stimulatory and inhibitory processes) and administering excitotoxic lesions in the insula. There were significant differences in saving behaviors between heroin and sucrose groups demonstrating an opioid induced loss of prosocial behavior. Modulating the insula chemogenetically resulted in some restoration of these opioid related deficits, and insular lesions did not significantly impact prosocial behaviors, however, there were significant differences between rates of heroin intake in lesioned animals versus non-lesioned controls. Taken together, these results demonstrate the deleterious effects of heroin on prosocial behaviors and offer further support for the role of the insula in both addiction and social constructs. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Psychology 2020

abstract: Prosocial behavior refers to voluntary acts done to benefit another. To date, there is little work examining children’s prosocial behavior toward outgroup members. Across several multi-method multi-informant data sets, I used various statistical methods (e.g., latent change score analysis, mediation and moderation analyses) to examine the predictors, correlates, and development of children’s prosocial behavior toward various outgroup members (e.g., gender, race). In Study 1, I examined the relation between preschoolers’ other-gender friendships and their prosocial behavior toward other-gender peers. Findings showed support for the hypothesis that cross-gender friendships are positively associated with children’s prosocial behavior toward other-gender peers over time. Further, children’s prosocial behavior toward other-gender peers positively predicted children’s later gender attitudes suggesting that fostering intergroup prosocial behavior could be a potentially effective solution to reduce intergroup prejudice. To capture the multifaceted nature of social identities, in Study 2, I examined children’s prosocial behavior toward various ingroup and outgroup members with the intention of exploring the degree of ingroup-ness and testing the transfer effect of intergroup contact. Findings showed that cross-gender friendships were positively predictive of school-age children’s prosocial behavior toward diverse others. Further, cross-race friendships are related to children’s diverse prosocial behavior indirectly through children’s race-based sympathy. Study 3 extended the previous two studies by testing both Intergroup Contact Theory and Social Identity Theory and taking into consideration the social identity of oneself (versus the targets of prosocial behavior). Specifically, I examined the central component of gender identity: children’s perceived same-gender similarity and other-gender similarity, as well as children’s same- and other-gender friendships. Results showed that only intergroup friendships, but not children’s gender identity, were related to children’s prosocial behavior toward same- and other-gender peers. In sum, this basic research has potential to shed light on ways to promote equity and inclusion across various social groups early in development. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Family and Human Development 2020

Job performance has historically been divided into two subsets, that which is prescribed and that which is discretionary. Further, discretionary workplace behavior has typically been described as either helpful or ethical (i.e. organizational citizenship behavior) or harmful and unethical (i.e. workplace deviance behavior) with behavior that is both helpful and unethical rarely discussed. I term this lesser discussed type of discretionary workplace behavior unethical prosocial behavior and define it as discretionary actions that are intended to benefit a specific referent outside the self, either an individual or a group, that are illegal and/or morally inappropriate to larger society. In addition to defining unethical prosocial behavior, this paper places the behavior in an organizing framework of discretionary workplace behaviors and tests several hypotheses regarding unethical prosocial behavior. The hypotheses address three primary research questions. First, are there contextual conditions that make it more likely that a person will engage in unethical prosocial behavior? Second, does the nature of the relationship between the actor and the beneficiary make unethical prosocial behavior more or less likely? And third, are there individual characteristics that serve to either constrain or enhance the likelihood that and individual will engage in unethical prosocial behavior? A 2 x 2 experimental design was used to test these hypotheses. As expected, in-group (vs. out-group) salience increased the likelihood of UPB. Individuals in the in-group condition engaged in significantly greater UPBs than those in the out-group condition. Contrary to expectations, shared reward (vs. no reward) decreased the likelihood of UPB. Individuals who were due a reward engaged less in UPBs than those who were not due a reward. Possible explanations for this relationship (both methodological and theoretical) are explored. While the overall effect of reward structure on UPB was in the opposite direction from that which was expected, propensity to morally disengage had the anticipated effect on the relationship between rewards and UPB. Those high in propensity to morally disengage were more likely to engage in UPB when a shared reward was offered (vs. no reward). Due to the nature of the task and the data collected, it was possible to operationalize UPB as a continuous measure as well as a dichotomous event (UPB/no UPB). This lead to a supplemental analysis that shed additional light on the nature of the relationship between group salience and UPB. The analysis shows that not only do subjects tend to over report the scores for fellow in-group members, but they also tend to underreport scores for out-group members. Fruitful areas for future work on the nascent UPB construct are discussed.

There are negative correlations between prosocial behaviors and loneliness and negative correlations between thinking about prosocial behaviors and loneliness. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of thinking about engaging in charitable behaviors on immediate feelings of social and emotional loneliness, as measured by the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale (SELSA). To compare influences of thinking about charitable behaviors and not thinking about charitable behaviors, an experimental design was used. The theoretical framework was a mediational model in which thinking about engaging in a specific charitable behavior leads to perceived ability to participate in positive social interaction, which leads to increased sense of belongingness, which leads to decreased loneliness. This was based on the spreading activation theory and Peplau and Perlman’s social psychological theory of loneliness. A sample of 171 adults age 18 or older living in the United States completed an online questionnaire consisting of 1 of 3 randomly assigned writing prompt conditions: charitable thoughts writing prompt, control writing prompt, and no writing prompt. Data were analyzed through planned contrasts within a one-way ANOVA. Planned contrasts revealed no significant difference in social or emotional loneliness scores between participants in the experimental group and participants in either control group. Thinking about engaging in charitable behaviors does not lead to immediate reduction in loneliness, opening new questions for researchers to investigate what does lead to immediate reduction in loneliness. Nonsignificant findings help health professionals make informed decisions about how to help clients. They need scientific evidence to distinguish between what does and does not work.

abstract: ABSTRACT Domestic dogs have assisted humans for millennia. However, the extent to which these helpful behaviors are prosocially motivated remains unclear. To assess the propensity of pet dogs to spontaneously and actively rescue distressed humans, this study tested whether sixty pet dogs would release their seemingly trapped owners from a large box. To examine the causal mechanisms that shaped this behavior, the readiness of each dog to open the box was tested in three conditions: 1) the owner sat in the box and called for help (“Distress” test), 2) an experimenter placed high-value food rewards in the box (“Food” test), and 3) the owner sat in the box and calmly read aloud (“Reading” test). Dogs were as likely to release their distressed owner as to retrieve treats from inside the box, indicating that rescuing an owner may be a highly rewarding action for dogs. After accounting for ability, dogs released the owner more often when the owner called for help than when the owner read aloud calmly. In addition, opening latencies decreased with test number in the Distress test but not the Reading test. Thus, rescuing the owner could not be attributed solely to social facilitation, stimulus enhancement, or social contact-seeking behavior. Dogs displayed more stress behaviors in the Distress test than in the Reading test, and stress scores decreased with test number in the Reading test but not in the Distress test. This evidence of emotional contagion supports the hypothesis that rescuing the distressed owner was an empathetically-motivated prosocial behavior. Success in the Food task and previous (in-home) experience opening objects were both strong predictors of releasing the owner. Thus, prosocial behavior tests for dogs should control for physical ability and previous experience. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2019

När en individ står upp för vad som är moraliskt rätt och riktigt med risk för negativa sociala konsekvenser benämns det civilkurage. Få studier har ämnat ta reda på vad som föregår ett visat civilkurage. Syftet var att undersöka huruvida samvetsgrannhet och individualism korrelerade med civilkurage. 135 respondenter varav 108 var kvinnor deltog i enkätundersökningen där de ombads bedöma påståenden. Påståendena var hämtade ur tre etablerade skalor; Das Münchner Zivilcourage-instrument, Auckland Individualism Collectivism Scale samt samvetsgrannhet extraherad ur Big Five. Resultatet visade ingen korrelation mellan individualism och civilkurage. Prediktorn samvetsgrannhet kunde inte heller förklara civilkurage. Inte heller verkade utbildningsnivå eller kön ha någon inverkan. Till framtida studier rekommenderas att inkludera övriga dimensioner av Big five samt att undersöka om prediktorerna skulle ge samma utfall gällande hjälpbeteende. Det torde även vara gynnsamt att mäta individualism i annan bemärkelse med tonvikt på unikhet hellre än konkurrens.