Study Questions on Altruism and Empathy

1. What is altruism, and how is it connected to empathy according to Batson’s theory?
   1. Altruism is the
2. What are the two types of emotions that can be generated when seeing someone in need, according to Batson? Define each.
3. What is "personal distress," and how might it motivate a person to help someone in need?
4. What is "empathic concern," and how does it differ from personal distress in terms of motivating helping behavior?
5. What is the difference between egoistic and non-egoistic reasons for helping someone in need? Provide an example of each.
6. How does a cost-benefit analysis factor into egoistic helping behavior?
7. According to Batson, what role does reducing one's own unpleasant feelings play in the motivation to help?
8. In what way does empathic concern lead to non-egoistic helping behavior?
9. Can a person experience both personal distress and empathic concern simultaneously? How might this influence their decision to help?
10. How could Batson’s theory of altruism be applied to real-world situations, such as volunteering or emergency interventions?
11. In your own words, summarize the Toi and Batson’s study and explain how it supports the hypothesis!
12. State some strengths and limitations of the theory!
13. What is the basic premise of the Negative-State Relief (NSR) model proposed by Schaller and Cialdini (1988)?
14. How does the NSR model explain the role of sadness in increasing the willingness to help others?
15. According to the NSR model, why might helping others reduce the distress experienced from witnessing a bad situation?
16. What role do egoistic motives play in the decision to help others, according to Schaller and Cialdini's theory?
17. How does socialization influence the likelihood of helping behavior in the context of the NSR model?
18. Explain how sadness can lead to helping behavior, according to the NSR model. Why might people be more motivated to help when they are sad?