Information

In order to master this outcome you need to understand the following key concepts;
Born to reciprocate
Reciprocity:

 It is defined as the obligation to return in kind what another has done for us
 Folk wisdom recognises reciprocity with such sayings as "You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours"
 Reciprocity norms are found in all cultures in the world
 The reciprocity norm is so powerful that it even applies to situations in which you do not ask for the favo
 Often you might need or want help, but you might not always accept help and certainly might not seek it
back.

Gratitude:

 When somebody helps you, you probably feel grateful for their assistance.
 Gratitude is defined as a positive emotion that results from the perception that one has benefited from

Born to be fair
Fairness is a cultural norm. So what are norms?
Norms:

 Norms are standards established by society to tell its members what types of behaviour are typical o
 Norms that promote fairness can have an important influence on whether people contribute to the commo
 The two norms that promote equity and fairness are:
o Equity: It means that each person receives benefits in proportion to what he or she has contri
o Equality: Means that everyone gets t
 Equity: It means that each person receives benefits in proportion to what he or she has contribute
 Equality: Means that everyone gets the same amount

 Under-benefited: Getting less than you deserve

  Over-benefited: Getting more than you deserve

Those who study fairness distinguish between two kinds of unfairness:


o Under-benefited: Getting less than you deserve
o Over-benefited: Getting more than you deserve

Examples of concepts defined above

Reciprocity

There are numerous examples of reciprocity in our daily lives. One example is a salesperson
giving away freebies to a potential customer, hoping that it will lead them to return the favour
by purchasing something in return. This is similar to hostels recruiting students during open
day, they provide freebies in the hope that you will join their hostel. Another example, is a
leader offering attention and mentorship to followers in exchange for loyalty.

Equity

An example of equity in everyday life is that of allocating marks in group assignments. Often
times lecturers will give a mark based on the individual group member's contribution to the
group. If you only did 20 percent of the work that was allocated to you, you will only receive 20
percent of the total group assignment mark. So the less you contributed to the group, the lower
the mark.

Equality

Equality on the other hand suggests that you will receive the same mark as the other group
members, despite the little effort you put in.

* Reciprocity: The obligation to return in kind what another has done for us

* Gratitude: A positive emotion that results from the perception that one has benefited from
the costly, intentional, voluntary action of another person.

* Norms: Standards established by society to tell its members what types of behaviour are
typical or expected

* Equity: The idea that each person receives benefits in proportion to what he or she
contributes

* Equality: The idea that everyone gets the same amount, regardless of what he or she
contributes