Have you prepared the most important questions from Block 2 Unit 2 for IGNOU MAPC MPC004 Exam? Don't miss this chance to score good marks - start NOW!

Block 2 Unit 2 Pro-social Behaviour and Factors Contributing to Pro-social Behaviour

1. Define pro-social behaviour with factor leading us to help in a particular situation.

Pro-social behaviour is any act performed with the goal of benefiting another person. Factors leading to helping include the perceived need for help, the presence of others (or lack thereof), personal experiences, and perceptions of the person needing help.

2. Discuss various factors that affect pro-social behaviour. 

Factors affecting pro-social behaviour include:

• Physical attractiveness of the person needing help.
• Similarity to the person helping.
• Whether the person is a relative or kin.
• Social norms, empathy and reciprocity.
• Cultural influences including the emphasis on competition versus cooperation.

3. Critically evaluate theories of pro-social behaviour. 

Several theories attempt to explain prosocial behaviour, each with its strengths and weaknesses.

Social Learning Theory:

• This theory suggests that prosocial behaviour is learned through observation and reinforcement. Children who observe role models engaging in prosocial acts are more likely to behave prosocially themselves.
• Strength: This theory highlights the importance of the environment and role models in shaping prosocial behaviour. It explains how prosocial norms are transmitted across generations.
• Weakness: It may not fully account for the spontaneous acts of prosocial behaviour that occur without any prior learning or modeling. It doesn't focus on the internal motivations of children.

Motivational Perspectives:

• This perspective differentiates between altruistic and egoistic prosocial behaviour based on the helper's underlying motives.
• Altruistic prosocial behaviour is driven by the desire to increase another's welfare, while egoistic prosocial behaviour is motivated by self-interest.
• Strength: It focuses on the underlying reasons why people engage in prosocial behavior, acknowledging the complexity of human motivations.
• Weakness: It can be difficult to empirically distinguish between truly altruistic and egoistic motives.

Social Identity Theory:

• This theory suggests that people identify with particular groups to enhance their self-esteem. This identification can lead to prosocial behaviour towards the in-group.
• Strength: It provides a framework for understanding why individuals exhibit prosocial behaviour over time based on group membership and identification.
• Weakness: It may not fully explain prosocial behaviours directed towards out-group members.

Biological Perspective:

• This viewpoint recognises the role of genes in prosocial behaviour. Twin studies have shown that approximately 50% of the variance in altruism, empathy, and social responsibility can be attributed to genetic factors.
• Strength: It recognises the biological basis of prosocial behaviour and the influence of genetic factors.
• Weakness: It is difficult to disentangle the effects of genes from environmental factors.

Negative-State Relief Hypothesis:

• This hypothesis suggests that empathic concern can be accompanied by feelings of sadness, which people try to relieve by helping others. The motivation is to increase the welfare of both the helper and the helpee.
• Strength: This model recognises that prosocial behaviours can be driven by a desire to manage one's own feelings.
• Weakness: This model does not explain how people may help when they are not experiencing feelings of sadness.

Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis:

• This theory posits that empathic concern for someone in need evokes altruistic motivation to relieve that need. The greater the empathy, the stronger the altruistic motivation.
• Strength: This model explains genuine altruistic motivation.
• Weakness: It does not address how people help when they have a lack of empathy.

Empathic-Joy Hypothesis:

• This hypothesis suggests that empathy is based on a helper's sensitivity to a victim's emotional state and a subsequent heightened sense of vicarious happiness upon the fulfillment of the recipient's needs.
• Strength: It highlights the importance of the emotional satisfaction a helper gets from knowing that the recipient's needs have been met.
• Weakness: It does not explain situations when people engage in prosocial behaviour in the absence of anticipated joy.

Self-Efficacy Hypothesis:

• This hypothesis proposes that an individual's competence with a given skill can influence helping behavior, especially in times of need.
• Strength: It emphasizes how the belief in one's ability to help can impact prosocial behavior.
• Weakness: It doesn't apply to all situations where prosocial behaviours can arise because many times people will offer help without any special skills being required.

Reciprocity and Social Norms:

• This perspective highlights that people tend to act cooperatively in response to positive behaviours from others, with reciprocity being a reputational motivation. Social norms also play a role in guiding prosocial behavior.
• Strength: This approach points to the crucial role of social norms in encouraging cooperation.
• Weakness: It might not account for situations when individuals offer help without expectation of reciprocity.

General Critique:

• Many theories focus primarily on either the helper or the situational context, without fully exploring their interaction.
• It is difficult to ascertain definitively the primary motivation behind prosocial behaviours, be it self-interest, altruism, or other factors.
• Research in this area can be difficult to conduct because people have different definitions and parameters of what is prosocial or altruistic.
• Some theories do not adequately address how prosocial behaviours manifest in different cultural settings and societies.

In conclusion, each theory offers valuable insights into the complex nature of prosocial behaviour. A comprehensive understanding requires consideration of multiple theories, recognising that prosocial actions are likely influenced by a combination of learning, motivation, social context, biology, and individual differences.