PSYC430 Module #3 Roundtable

NAME: Madeline Thomas DATE: 11/4/2022 GROUP #: 9 Q: 4

Discussion Question: Provide one or two specific insights into your readings this week. As a result of doing the
exercises, what did you learn about yourself that you did not previously know? What, to you, was the most surprising
finding, statement, or concept in the article?

One of the most interesting concepts I read was about the social exchange theory. This theory states that we
aim to minimize costs and maximize rewards in social situations. In this way, we weigh the costs and benefits of both
helping and not helping in a situation (Myers 342). Overall, most of our helping is for our own personal gain. I found this
topic incredibly interesting because one of the most desirable traits in a person is generosity. According to popular
belief, the idea of generosity means helping with no motivation for reward, to help out of the goodness of your heart.
However, generosity is more about helping without external motivators, with the only reward being internal and
invisible to another human being. No one is generous by the first definition, it his human nature. However, the people
that society deems “generous,” give their help to feel good about themselves, to gain that internal reward that others
do not see.

This leads into the do-good/feel-good effect, where helping boosts self-worth (Myers 343). This is why people
feel the need to volunteer or give back, because it gives them a better sense of meaning in their lives, and makes them
happier because they now see themselves as needed by others. In everyday life, we hear about people who want to give
back, who want to help their community. In reality, the motivation for these individuals isn’t just to help someone just
because, but rather it makes them feel confident, happy, and worthy. While the text talks about the cost-benefit analysis
of helping, it also discusses briefly that this is not a cold and demeaning concept, but that as a species we can only
survive if we were to work together. In this way, we are not just doing things for our own benefit, but for the benefit of
our people.

References

Myers, D. G., & Twenge, J. M. (2022). Social psychology (Fourteenth edition). McGraw Hill.
Question for Peers:

What form of helping makes you feel the best? How do you help people in your life?

NOTES for ROUNDTABLE:

Insert your discussion points here to be used in your roundtable discussions. Need 3 points of discussion.

Ø Question 1:
o People help when they can minimize costs and maximize benefits.
Ø Question 2:
o Social exchange theory is the most accurate, in the end we all do things for our own benefit.
Ø Question 3:
o Empathy, conscientiousness, and agreeableness predict helping.