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Acting altruistically is one of humanity’s most praised, yet most puzzling behaviours. The aim of the present research is to examine the possibility that increased prosocial intentions can result from attempts to compensate for threats to perceptions of order. Previous research has found that people compensate order threats by increasing perceptions of control in external sources (Kay et al, 2008). Several competing theories on the origins of prosocial behaviour exist, such as the debate between Daniel Batson, advocating altruism, and Robert Cialdini, advocating an egoistic explanation. However, thus far no research has been published concerning the possibility of prosocial intentions acting as a compensatory mechanism to restore a sense of order in the world. In Study 1 perceptions of order were manipulated through writing about a time when participants did or did not have control over a positive outcome, followed by measurements of intentions to donate blood at an upcoming blood drive. In Study 2 participants read of a fake Harvard conference suggesting that the world was random. Participants then had an opportunity to restore control or did not have this opportunity, followed by a measurement of intentions to help solve problems in the world. Results of these studies support the hypothesis that intentions to act prosocially increase following threats to perceptions of order and control. Implications of these findings are discussed.

ABSTRACT DEVELOPING A PEER HELPING PROGRAM AND TESTING ITS EFFECTIVENESS Aladag, Mine Ph. D., Educational Sciences Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Esin Tezer 2005, 290 pages The main purpose of this three-phase study was to develop a peer helping program. The purpose of the first phase was to plan a peer helping program with its goal and content. The purpose of the second phase was to develop a peer helping training program and to investigate its effectiveness on improving the helping skills and self-growth of the peer helpers. The purpose of the third phase was to understand the peer helpers&rsquo / and helpees&rsquo / evaluations of the peer helping program. In the first phase of the study, a need assessment study was carried out with a sample of 316 (168 females, 148 males) students from Faculty of Education of Ege University. Results indicated that students preferred peer helpers among other helping agents / they preferred both non-directive helping styles (empathic responses) and directive helping styles (instrumental responses) / they seemed to believe the helpfulness of the program / they tended to apply to the program / and they wanted the program to concentrate on their career, academic, and interpersonal relationships concerns. In the second phase of the study, in order to investigate the effect of peer helping training program on improving peer helpers&rsquo / helping skills and the self-growth, a pre-test post-test control group experimental design study was carried out with a sample of 31 participants (15 experimental group and 16 control group). The participants were also administered six-month follow-up test. The data were gathered by administering five instruments: Communication Skills Evaluation Scale (CSES), Empathic Skill Scale-B Form (ESS-B), Reflection Skills Evaluation Form (RSEF), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSS) and Self-Acceptance Inventory (SAI). After testing the equivalence of the pre-test scores of CSES, ESS-B, RSS, and SAI of the experimental and the control group participants, a series of 2 (experimental-control groups) X 3 (pre-post-follow up tests) repeated measure of analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to the CSES, ESS-B, RSS, and SAI scores of the participants. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) using pre-test as covariate was employed to the post-test and follow-up test scores of the RSEF of the participants. The results indicated that a peer helping training program was more effective on improving both the empathic and the reflection skills of the experimental group participants as compared to the control group participants. The results also indicated that there was a significant increase in the experimental group participants&rsquo / self-esteem scores from the pre-test to the follow-up test and also a significant increase in the experimental group participants&rsquo / self-acceptance scores from the pretest to the posttest. In the third phase of the research, a study, mainly based on qualitative data, was carried out with 15 peer helpers and 33 volunteered students/peer helpees (17 females, 16 males) who received peer helping services. All peer helpees were administered Peer Helping Service Evaluation Form and 15 peer helpers were also administered Peer Helping Program Evaluation Form. The analysis of the qualitative data indicated that most of the above mentioned areas were positively evaluated by both peer helpers and peer helpees.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-77) / Microfiche. / v, 77 leaves, bound 29 cm

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. School of Labor and Industrial Relations, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Mar. 30, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p.101-113). Also issued in print.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1994. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Marilyn M. Rawnsley. Dissertation Committee: Richard M. Wolf. Includes tables. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 167-174).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin-Madison. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-115).

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland. / Bibliography : leaves 87-93. Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1970. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliography.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Queensland, 2006. / Includes bibliography.