Social Norms, Feelings, and Other Factors Affecting Helping and Altruism

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses social norms, feelings, and other factors that influence helping and altruism. Externally derived incentives are undoubtedly major determinants of behavior, perhaps more important than internalized ideals for many persons and in many situations. But there is probably a far greater incidence of selfless action on behalf of others—even in the absence of reciprocal or anticipated benefits than the usual form of exchange theory. Some of this behavior, not all, is influenced by the operation of social rules and internalized standards of conduct. People sometimes act altruistically because this is the right thing to do in a given situation. On other occasions, however, they might help someone else because they empathize with him. The chapter also considers another complication: a person may deviate from social regulations in some instances even though he is firmly convinced of their propriety and has attempted to adhere to these standards in other situations; these occasional deviations do not mean that he or she does not believe in these rules or that they do not frequently govern his behavior. Other factors obviously may become potent determinants of behavior in some situations. Social-exchange conceptions apply to the organizational world because this setting promotes exchange concerns. Outside this milieu however, exchange ideas may be less influential as other motives, interests, and values come into play. Nonetheless, the findings reviewed in the chapter indicate that many normative conceptions of social behavior are vastly oversimplified.