Chapter 10 Helping Others

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Chapter 10-Helping Others
1. Actions intended to benefit others are called ____ behaviors.

a. prosocial
b. altruistic
c. egoistic
d. aggressive
ANSWER: a
2. A classic book, The Selfish Gene, by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins suggests that evolutionary
perspectives emphasize not the survival of the fittest individuals but
a. the fittest individual does not gain an advantage over the less-fit.
b. the economic rewards of helping are greater than the costs.
c. it helps to secure propagation of an individual’s genes.
d. it is performed for altruistic rather than egoistic motives.
ANSWER: c
3. The evolutionary principle of kin selection dictates that we are more likely to help someone who is
a. a potential mate.
b. likely to return the favor.
c. physically attractive.
d. genetically related to us.
ANSWER: d
4. Evolutionary perspectives on helping behavior suggest that individuals

a. sometimes offer assistance to others even when doing so puts their own survival at great risk.
b. are more likely to offer help to attractive others who seem to be good potential mates.
c. are more likely to offer help to distant versus close relatives.
d. who only look out for themselves tend to be most successful from a reproductive standpoint.
ANSWER: a
5. Angelina arrived at the site where her sister Mary and her friend were involved in an accident. Angelina ran to help
her sister out of the car but waited for others to help Mary’s friend. According to the study by Fitzgerald and others
(2010), which of the following statements best explains Angelina’s actions?
a. In high-risk scenarios, we are motivated to help anyone.
b. In low-risk scenarios, we are willing to help friends and relatives.
c. In all scenarios, we are unlikely to help someone not genetically related to us.
d. In high-risk scenarios, we are more willing to help only our closest relatives.
ANSWER: d
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6. Some research has found that bats shared food with both kin and nonkin under safe conditions. When the conditions
seemed dangerous, the bats shared a much greater proportion of food with close relatives. This finding is consistent
with
a. kin selection.
b. the bystander effect.
c. pluralistic ignorance.
d. the negative-state relief model.
ANSWER: a
7. The principle of kin selection is based on the assumption that

a. although it is sometimes beneficial to help our kin, we must focus primarily on helping ourselves if we are to
survive danger.
b. it is the survival of genes that matters most from an evolutionary perspective.
c. we will help those who are likely to reciprocate that help regardless of whether or not they are genetically
related to us.
d. those who have the greatest reproductive fitness share more genes with their kin.
ANSWER: b
8. Kelli always tries to be very helpful because she believes it increases her chances of receiving help at a future time.
Kelli’s thinking most closely reflects the concept of
a. reciprocal altruism.
b. empathy.
c. egoism.
d. audience exhibition.
ANSWER: a
9. Which of the following statements about reciprocal altruism is most accurate?

a. Reciprocal altruism is a strictly human phenomenon and observed only in mature adults.
b. Reciprocal altruism is a strictly human phenomenon that has been observed throughout the lifespan.
c. Reciprocal altruism occurs in humans and nonhuman primates but not in nonprimate animals.
d. Reciprocal altruism has been demonstrated in nonhuman primates as well as nonprimate animals.
ANSWER: d

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10. Joey and Chandler are not related to each other, yet Chandler goes out of his way to leave work early so he can
give Joey a ride to the airport. From an evolutionary perspective, which of the following concepts applies to
Chandler’s behavior toward Joey?
a. Kin selection
b. Reciprocal altruism
c. The cost-reward model
d. Moral hypocrisy
ANSWER: b
11. Some large fish allow smaller fish to swim inside of their mouths without eating the smaller ones. The smaller fish
get food for themselves from the larger fish’s mouth and at the same time remove parasites from its teeth. This is an
example of
b. kin selection.
c. audience inhibition.
d. the cost-reward model.
ANSWER: a
12. Online file-sharing websites depend on the idea of

b. kin selection.
d. the cost-reward model.
ANSWER: a
13. Open-source community has members who post their work on to the community site for the benefit of others. If you
use their software, you can refer to others or donate additional development code to the community. The foundation
of this community is based on the concept of
b. kin selection.
d. the empathy–altruism hypothesis.
ANSWER: a

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14. Warneken and Tomasello (2006) studied the helping behavior of 18-month-old infants with an adult experimenter.
They found that
a. infants this young didn’t demonstrate empathy or helping of any kind.
b. infants this young understood when the experimenter needed help and most of them attempted to help.
c. infants this young didn’t seem to sense when the experimenter needed help.
d. infants this young understood when the experimenter needed help but did not know how to offer help.
ANSWER: b
15. The ability to understand or vicariously experience another’s perspective and to feel sympathy and compassion for
that person is called ____.
a. Synergy
b. prosocial behavior
c. Empathy
d. Altruism
ANSWER: c
16. Which of the following statements about empathy is most accurate?

a. It has emotional and behavioral components but not a cognitive component.
b. It is uniquely human and begins to appear after adolescence.
c. It is independent of the ability to take another person’s perspective.
d. It is much debated as to how it should be defined.
ANSWER: d
17. When Jo witnesses a serious plane crash, she feels compassion, sympathy, and tenderness for the victims. Her
feelings are indicative of
a. anxious introspection.
b. perspective taking.
c. kin selection.
d. empathic concern.
ANSWER: d
18. The cognitive component of empathy that involves seeing the world through someone else’s eyes is called
a. anxious introspection.
b. personal distress.
c. perspective taking.
d. empathic affect.
ANSWER: c

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19. As compared to feelings of personal distress, empathic concern

a. is more likely in emergency situations.
b. does not directly impact helping behavior.
c. is more cognitive in nature.
d. is other-oriented rather than self-oriented.
ANSWER: c
20. Which of the following hormones has been implicated by neuroscientists in empathy and prosocial behaviors?
a. Oxytocin
b. Cortical
c. Estrogen
d. Testosterone
ANSWER: a
21. Which of the following statements is most consistent with the negative state relief model?
a. Shoppers who are given a free gift are more likely to donate money to a solicitor as they leave the store.
b. Students who feel guilty about falling asleep in class are more likely to complete the assignments on time.
c. Professional athletes are more likely to sign autographs for fans following a win than following a loss.
d. People who win the lottery are more likely to give money to charity than those who have not won the lottery.
ANSWER: b
22. Bob was an active alcoholic for 8 years, during which time he lost his wife and custody of his daughter. Now that he
has been clean and sober for 3 years, he is a sponsor for several other people who are struggling to stop drinking.
He says that helping others makes him feel better about the things that he lost while he was drinking. Bob’s actions
to help others recover from addiction are driven by the ____ model of helping.
a. negative state relief
b. empathy–altruism
c. equity maintaining
d. Justice
ANSWER: a
23. The negative state relief model of helping behavior

a. supports the existence of altruism in the real world.
b. applies more to emergencies than to nonemergency situations.
c. identifies yet another way in which helping can be egoistic.
d. is based on the ego defense mechanism of reaction formation.
ANSWER: c

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24. Joseph sees a frail man limping on the corner of his property. Joseph is most likely to help if the costs of
a. not helping are small, and Joseph will gain nothing from helping.
b. not helping are small, and Joseph will feel better about himself by helping.
c. helping are large, and Joseph will feel better about himself by helping.
d. helping are small, and Joseph will feel better about himself by helping.
ANSWER: d
25. People who have experienced distressing or traumatic events

a. derive more satisfaction from helping strangers than from helping close others.
b. show mental and physical health benefits from helping others.
c. more carefully weigh the potential costs of helping.
d. are paradoxically less likely to help others if they themselves were helped.
ANSWER: b
26. The proposition that people help others in order to counteract their own feelings of sadness is called the ____
model.
a. cost-reward
b. negative state relief
c. empathy–altruism
d. diffusion-of-responsibility
ANSWER: b
27. Helping in the face of ____ costs is best described as ____.

a. enormous; altruism
b. small; altruism
c. enormous; courageous resistance
d. small; courageous resistance
ANSWER: c
28. “Good Samaritan” laws

a. encourage bystanders to intervene in emergencies.
b. only apply to those with professional training.
c. are fairly rare in the United States.
d. require people to intervene in the case of an emergency, even if doing so is dangerous for the helper.
ANSWER: a

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29. When Christine sees how upset Jim is about his father’s death, she, too, becomes upset. As a result, she goes out of
her way to console Jim. Christine’s actions are consistent with the
a. empathy–altruism hypothesis.
b. mood maintenance model.
c. norm of reciprocity.
d. threat to self-esteem model.
ANSWER: a
30. Behaviors that are motivated by selfish concerns are best described as _____.
a. Altruistic
b. Arrogant
c. idiographic
d. Egoistic
ANSWER: d
31. The empathy–altruism hypothesis maintains that, regardless of how easy it is to escape from a situation, people will
help someone else if their motives are
a. altruistic.
b. simplistic.
c. idiographic.
d. egoistic.
ANSWER: a
32. According to the empathy–altruism hypothesis, altruistic behavior is primarily the result of
a. feeling another person’s pain.
b. rewards and costs.
c. personal distress.
d. evolution and sympathy
ANSWER: a
33. Research on the empathy–altruism model has demonstrated that individuals ____ in empathic concern offer help
____.
a. high; when escape from the situation is difficult, but not when escape is easy
b. low; if they can easily escape from the situation, but not if escape is difficult
c. high; regardless of the ease of escape from a situation
d. low; regardless of the ease of escape from a situation
ANSWER: c

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34. The empathy–altruism model suggests that when escape from a situation is easy, people will
a. offer help only when they have empathic concern.
b. offer help only when they are in a good mood.
c. almost always exhibit altruism.
d. be likely to experience empathic concern.
ANSWER: a
35. Sandy missed class because she is sick, but Luis did attend the lecture. Sandy asks Luis if she can borrow his notes.
If Luis considers Sandy’s situation from her point of view and decides to offer help without expecting some form of
payback, he is most likely
a. invoking the norm of reciprocal altruism.
b. operating under an altruistic motive.
c. operating under an egoistic motive.
d. following the negative state relief model.
ANSWER: b
36. Giles volunteers his time to his local community center because he thinks it will look good on his college applications.
Giles’s behavior would best be described as likely
a. democratic.
b. egoistic.
c. altruistic.
d. idealistic.
ANSWER: b
37. The primary distinction between altruistic and egoistic helping concerns the
a. motivations of the helper.
b. ratio of rewards to costs.
c. number of bystanders present.
d. mood of the helper.
ANSWER: a

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38. Charlene volunteers one afternoon each week at the local soup kitchen because she is genuinely concerned about
the welfare of the less fortunate citizens in her community. Charlene’s behavior would best be characterized as
a. egoistic.
b. altruistic.
c. affective.
d. evolutionary.
ANSWER: b
39. Researchers observed that people may be more likely to remain longer as active volunteers if their initial motivation
was more ___.
a. self-oriented
b. ambivalent
c. other-oriented
d. Selfless
ANSWER: a
40. Research by Batson on the empathy–altruism hypothesis suggests that

a. all helping is altruistic.
b. most helping is egoistic.
c. helping is affected by many motives, including altruism.
d. helping is affected by many motives, but rarely altruism.
ANSWER: c
41. For doctors and nurses, too much empathy can be

a. essential to effective job performance.
b. a risk factor for depression.
c. a result of clinical training.
d. a way to retain one’s humanity.
ANSWER: b
42. Research by Omoto and Snyder (1995) found that volunteers who decided to help AIDS victims had ____ service if
their initial motives were ____.
a. longer; self-oriented
b. longer; other-oriented
c. shorter; religious
d. shorter; egoistic
ANSWER: a

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43. What explanation does research give for the finding that volunteers with egoistic motives tend to remain active
volunteers longer than those with more altruistic motives?
a. Altruistic motives do not stand up against the personal costs of helping for long.
b. Altruistic motives are not genuinely felt.
c. Altruistic motives create more personal cost for the volunteer.
d. Altruistic motives help one manage the personal costs of helping.
ANSWER: a
44. Jacinta volunteers at a local clinic where patients with AIDS come to get treatment and social assistance. She
spends 10 to 15 hours a week at the clinic because it helps her escape the pressures and stress in her life. Which
motivation category is behind Jacinta’s volunteerism?
a. Values
b. Esteem enhancement
c. Understanding
d. Personal development
ANSWER: b
45. Darley and Latané’s (1968) “epileptic seizure” study demonstrated that
a. helping is primarily egoistic.
b. helping is primarily altruistic.
c. helping is inversely related to group size.
d. helping is positively related to group size.
ANSWER: c
46. The bystander effect refers to the tendency for

a. the presence of others to inhibit helping.
b. the presence of others to promote helping.
c. bystander helping to be motivated more by egoistic concerns than altruistic ones.
d. bystander helping to be motivated more by altruistic concerns than egoistic ones.
ANSWER: a

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47. Benny has a heart attack while riding a crowded city bus and nobody on the bus attempts to help him. This
exemplifies
a. the bystander effect.
b. the good mood effect.
c. moral hypocrisy.
d. the norm of social responsibility.
ANSWER: a
48. The bystander effect does not tend to occur when the bystanders are
a. all friends.
b. all strangers.
c. only in one’s mind.
d. on the Internet.
ANSWER: a
49. Many different factors contribute to the bystander effect. Which of the following factors does not contribute directly
to the bystander effect?
a. Audience inhibition
b. Time pressure
c. Pluralistic ignorance
d. Diffusion of responsibility
ANSWER: b
50. Kramer was on the subway during rush hour and failed to offer assistance to a woman who fell down and lost
consciousness. One explanation for why he might not have noticed the emergency would be
a. audience inhibition.
b. pluralistic ignorance.
c. diffusion of responsibility.
d. stimulus overload.
ANSWER: d
51. Which of the following factors will lead to greater helping in an emergency situation?
a. A large group of bystanders witnesses the emergency.
b. The emergency occurs in a busy environment.
c. The emergency involves two victims who are clearly related.
d. The situation is clearly an emergency that is difficult to ignore.
ANSWER: d

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52. Having struggled with panhandlers on the subway, hassles at the office, and telephone calls at dinner, Allison
retreats to her bedroom rather than noticing that her daughter needs help with a homework assignment. She is
probably reacting to
a. social norms.
b. bystander calculus.
c. stimulus overload.
d. reactance.
ANSWER: c
53. Which of the following is not one of the five steps to helping proposed by Latané and Darley (1970)?
a. Interpret the event as an emergency.
b. Invoke the norm of reciprocity.
c. Take responsibility for providing help.
d. Notice that something is happening.
ANSWER: b
54. In one of the most infamous cases of the bystander effect, ____ neighbors watched as Kitty Genovese was
repeatedly attacked and sexually assaulted (and eventually killed). None of those observers called police until 45
minutes had passed.
a. 12
b. 25
c. 38
d. 51
ANSWER: c
55. Which situational change would not have made it more likely that someone would’ve acted to help Kitty Genovese
during her attack?
a. If some of her neighbors had been police officers
b. If there had been 76 witnesses instead of 38
c. If some of her neighbors had known her before the attack occurred
d. If some of the witnesses had just heard a lecture on the situational influences on helping behavior
ANSWER: b

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56. The state in which people in a group mistakenly think that their own individual thoughts, feelings, or behaviors are
different from those of others in the group is called
a. stimulus overload.
c. courageous resistance.
d. diffusion of responsibility.
ANSWER: b
57. Latané and Darley’s (1968) “smoke-filled room” study demonstrates the concept of
a. diffusion of responsibility.
d. negative state relief.
ANSWER: b
58. Newman notices that the passenger seated across from him on the subway has his eyes closed and hasn’t moved in
a while. But he looks around and sees that no one else, including those passengers who were on the train when he
boarded, seems too concerned about this man. He decides that this probably means there isn’t an emergency and
the man is not in need of help. This line of thinking epitomizes which of the following concepts?
a. Stimulus overload
b. Pluralistic ignorance
c. Audience inhibition
d. Diffusion of responsibility
ANSWER: b
59. Cosmo is walking home on a busy downtown street when he notices a woman lying on the sidewalk who appears to
have lost consciousness. Which of the following obstacles to helping would best explain why he did not interpret the
event as an emergency?
a. Audience inhibition
b. Pluralistic ignorance
c. Diffusion of responsibility
d. Empathetic altruism
ANSWER: b

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60. Dewanto hears what sounds like gunshots coming from the school parking lot. None of his classmates appears
concerned, so Dewanto assumes that they know the sound was only a car backfiring or someone playing with
firecrackers. Dewanto’s beliefs illustrate
b. empathic concern.
d. pluralistic ignorance.
ANSWER: d
61. During his statistics class this morning, Stuart was completely confused. He considered asking questions during the
lecture, but because nobody else asked questions, he did not want to raise his hand and make a fool of himself in
front of everyone. Stuart’s failure to ask questions most likely stems from
b. stimulus overload.
d. audience inhibition.
ANSWER: c
62. The belief that others will or should take the responsibility for providing assistance to a person in need is called
a. the bystander effect.
b. diffusion of responsibility.
d. audience inhibition.
ANSWER: b
63. Asuni hears her neighbor’s burglar alarm go off in the middle of the night, but she doesn’t call the police because
she assumes that one of the other neighbors will do so. Asuni’s failure to call the police is the result of
a. pluralistic ignorance.
b. audience inhibition.
c. diffusion of responsibility.
d. stimulus overload.
ANSWER: c

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64. Research suggests that your responses are strongly influenced by the size of a group and
a. make you more likely to engage in helping behavior.
b. make you less likely to engage in helping behavior.
c. only influence altruistic helping behavior.
d. do not affect helping behavior.
ANSWER: b
65. The bystander effect can be reduced if

a. a bystander’s training is relevant to the emergency at hand.
b. there are many bystanders.
c. the bystanders do not know each other.
d. the bystanders do not know the victim.
ANSWER: a
66. Reluctance to help for fear of making a bad impression on observers is called
a. kin selection.
c. arousal inhibition.
d. pluralistic reluctance.
ANSWER: b
67. When people think they will be scorned by others for failing to help, audience inhibition
a. increases.
b. decreases.
c. remains the same as it would in any situation.
d. escalates.
ANSWER: b
68. Ginny thinks she hears a husband physically abusing his wife. However, she does not call the police because she is
afraid that her neighbors will ostracize her if she is wrong. Ginny’s failure to act is a case of
a. negative state relief.
c. empathic concern.
d. pluralistic ignorance.
ANSWER: b

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69. According to Latané and Darley’s (1970) five-step model of helping, analysis of costs and rewards occurs just prior
to
a. noticing the event.
b. interpreting the event as an emergency.
c. taking responsibility to help.
d. providing help.
ANSWER: d
70. Ambiguity of a situation would interfere with potential helping behavior just after which step of Lateen and Darley’s
(1970) five-step model of helping?
a. Noticing the event
b. Interpreting the event as an emergency
c. Taking responsibility to help
d. Providing help
ANSWER: a
71. What would be the right and most effective approach for a person to secure help in an emergency situation?
a. Make a very loud general plea for help.
b. Ask a specific individual for help.
c. Request help from those who are more psychologically distant from the situation.
d. Appear to have the situation entirely under control.
ANSWER: b
72. Research suggests that the bystander effect

a. has become much less pronounced in our modern, technology-driven era.
b. is more common among women than men.
c. happens more often among friends than among strangers.
d. does occur with online and virtual groups as well as in-person groups.
ANSWER: d
73. Fiona needs to get people to fill out her survey. The likelihood that people will help Fiona will increase if she
approaches all types of people except those who
a. live in the country rather than the city.
b. seem to be in a good mood.
c. just passed by a bakery.
d. are in a hurry.
ANSWER: d

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74. People are less likely to notice an emergency if they

a. display empathic concern for others.
b. are aware of their surroundings.
c. are in a good mood.
d. are under time pressure.
ANSWER: d
75. Darley and Batson (1973) found that the helping behavior of seminary students was best predicted by
a. how religious they were.
b. the type of speech they were about to give.
c. how much time they had.
d. the sex of the person being helped.
ANSWER: c
76. In their famous Good Samaritan study, Darley and Batson (1973) found that
a. students studying to become ministers were more likely to offer assistance to a stranger than college
students.
b. seminary students on their way to give a sermon involving the Good Samaritan parable were more likely to
offer assistance to a stranger than students preparing sermons on other topics.
c. the more religious seminary students were, the more likely they were to stop to offer assistance to a stranger
as they walked across campus.
d. the topic of the seminarians’ talks had little impact on the likelihood that they would help.
ANSWER: d
77. During a study in Liberia, only 7% of the population reported making a charitable donation but 76% of Liberian
respondents reported helping a stranger within a month. This points out that
a. prosocial behavior takes different forms across cultures.
b. it is one of the poorest countries in the world.
c. the greater the population size, the more likely people donate.
d. the relationship between time pressure and helping is inconsistent.
ANSWER: a

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78. An important element of helping in Spanish and Latin-American cultures is called

a. Simpatia
b. déja vu.
c. je ne sais quoi.
d. inferno.
ANSWER: a
79. According to Giving USA (2019), the residents of individualistic states in the United States are ____ than residents
of more collectivist states.
a. less likely to offer assistance in an emergency
b. more likely to give to charity
c. more susceptible to the bystander effect
d. less generous
ANSWER: b
80. People are probably most helpful when the weather is

a. sunny.
b. snowy.
c. rainy.
d. cloudy.
ANSWER: a
81. Sharon, who lives in Cunningham, went to a restaurant with her family on a bright sunny afternoon for lunch and left
a generous tip to the waiter who served them before leaving. Sharon’s generous attitude is most likely due to
a. being in a good mood.
b. reciprocity norms.
d. negative state relief.
ANSWER: a
82. Research suggests that if you are soliciting the help of strangers at the mall, you are most likely to be successful if
you
a. stand in front of a bakery.
b. approach older adults as opposed to younger people.
c. position yourself by the exit of a movie theater that is showing a sad film.
d. appear to be angry.
ANSWER: a

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83. Nina is a cheerful and positive person. Recently she became sad and quiet due to the passing away of her dog.
When her friend asks Nina to help her take her cat to the veterinarian, Nina probably will
a. be more likely to help.
b. be less likely to help.
c. focus more on the costs of helping rather than the rewards.
d. be more concerned with the potential for reciprocity.
ANSWER: a
84. Feeling good often leads to doing good or increased helping behavior because
a. people want to maintain their good mood.
b. people in a good mood have a higher level of mental arousal.
c. people in a good mood are more likely to avoid pluralistic ignorance and notice an individual in need of help.
d. there is a positive correlation between good mood and an altruistic personality.
ANSWER: a
85. Liam forgets his mom’s birthday. The next day he helps her with cleaning and takes her out for dinner. Liam helps
his mom because
a. his mom has asked for help.
b. they always help each other in doing dishes.
c. his mother was caring for his grandmother.
d. he feels guilty for forgetting her birthday.
ANSWER: d
86. Suppose Barbara is feeling sad and she sees Mort struggling to move a piece of furniture. She would be most likely
to help Mort if Barbara
a. accepted personal responsibility for her bad mood.
b. and Mort were young children.
c. was self-focused on her own concerns.
d. blamed someone else for her bad mood.
ANSWER: a
87. Research suggests that negative moods tend to enhance helping

a. almost never.
b. when responsibility for the negative mood is placed elsewhere.
c. when helping values are not relevant.
d. when helping is thought to repair mood.
ANSWER: d

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88. Research by Gentile and others (2009) on media effects and helping behavior found that
a. people assigned their partner the easiest puzzles after playing a prosocial video game.
b. people assigned their partner the easiest puzzles after playing a violent video game.
c. people were more likely to answer more questions on a questionnaire after playing a prosocial video game.
d. people were more likely to answer fewer questions on a questionnaire after playing a violent video game.
ANSWER: a
89. Which of the following reasons does not stand out as an inspiration to exemplify helping?
a. .When helping behavior makes us more superior and well known in the society
b. When we are rewarded for helpful behavior
c. When model behavior makes us aware of the standards of conduct in the society
d. When we provide an example of helping behavior to imitate directly
ANSWER: a
90. What is not an explanation for why helping models increase prosocial behavior?
a. They provide an example of behaviors that others can imitate.
b. They demonstrate that helping others is rewarding.
c. They make the social norms that govern helping salient.
d. They make perspective taking more likely to occur.
ANSWER: d
91. William Chopik and others (2017) found that empathy predicted
a. volunteering.
b. financial donations.
c. providing emotional support.
d. religious activities.
ANSWER: a
92. Research on culture and helping indicates that collectivist cultures are more likely to help their ____ and less likely
to help their ____.
a. ingroup; outgroup
b. outgroup; ingroup
c. children; parents
d. parents; children
ANSWER: a

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93. Eisenberg and others (2002) found that the extent to which preschool children exhibited spontaneous helping
behavior predicted how helpful they would be in later childhood and early adulthood. This finding is consistent with
the hypothesis that
a. there are stable individual differences in helping.
b. situational factors can.
c. the altruistic personality is genetically based.
d. individuals high in empathy tend to be more helpful than those low in empathy.
ANSWER: a
94. Joan Chiao (2011) estimates that between ____ of prosocial behavior can be attributed to genetic effects.
a. 8% and 10%
b. 29% and 35%
c. 56% and 72%
d. 88% and 92%
ANSWER: c
95. Which of the following combinations of traits has been shown to be essential to helping?
a. Extroversion and conscientiousness
b. Empathy and advanced moral reasoning
c. Empathy and introversion
d. Independence and conscientiousness
ANSWER: b
96. Ryo Oda and others (2014) found that ____________ was associated with altruism toward family members.
a. agreeableness
b. openness
c. conscientiousness
d. moral reasoning
ANSWER: c
97. Which of the following countries did not fall in the top 16 on a measure called the “World Giving Index” between
the years 2013 and 2017?
a. Singapore
b. Malta
c. Malaysia
d. Sri Lanka
ANSWER: a

Name: Class: Date:
98. Emma works for a NGO. She fundraises by visiting corporations and wealthy individuals. She can increase her
donations by
a. making herself look more attractive.
b. invoking empathy by noting she is in a bind.
c. first putting potential helpers in a self-focused negative mood.
d. making her requests over the telephone rather than in person.
ANSWER: a
99. Research on attractiveness and helping indicates that

a. we are more likely to help attractive people than unattractive people.
b. attractive people are less likely to be helped because of jealousy.
c. we are less likely to help attractive people because we assume they will reject us.
d. attractive people rarely ask for help and are thus helped less.
ANSWER: a
100. Farrelly and others (2007) concluded that these types of people are more likely to be offered help and cooperation.
a. Heavy people
b. Attractive people
c. Needy people
d. People who ask for help
ANSWER: b
101. People who seem particularly nice, sociable, or happy are termed as having
a. physical attractiveness.
b. aesthetic attractiveness.
c. sexual attractiveness.
d. interpersonal attractiveness.
ANSWER: d
102. A series of studies revealed that participants were less likely to help someone if they thought
a. the person was heavy.
b. the person was nice and bold.
c. the person was attractive.
d. the person was social and happy.
ANSWER: a

Name: Class: Date:
103. Research on people’s willingness to help individuals with AIDS indicates that we tend to be more likely to offer
assistance
a. to people we believe are deserving of help.
b. to people who are gravely ill and will die soon.
c. when we are in a good mood.
d. when we are in a bad mood.
ANSWER: a
104. Peggy feels sorry for smokers who have lung cancer because she believes they were duped by tobacco companies
to develop a deadly addiction and are therefore not responsible for their disease. When asked to donate money to
support lung cancer research, Peggy gives generously. Peggy’s prosodies behavior can best be explained by
a. the negative state relief model.
b. attributions of responsibility.
c. the arousal: cost-reward model.
d. a norm of equity.
ANSWER: b
105. Levine and others (2005) conducted an experiment in which a “jogger,” a confederate, was wearing a t-shirt that
was either the same as the participant’s favorite soccer team, the t-shirt of a rival team, or a neutral t-shirt. The
“jogger” fell in front of the participant, appearing to sustain an injury. Participants were
a. less likely to help if the jogger was wearing a rival team shirt.
b. more likely to help if the jogger was wearing their own favorite team’s shirt.
c. both less likely to help a jogger wearing a rival shirt and more likely to help a jogger wearing their own team’s
shirt.
d. equally likely to help in the “favorite” and “neutral” conditions, but more likely to help in the “rival” condition.
ANSWER: b
106. Patricia needs help in finishing her assignment, and Irina is capable of giving it. Irina is more likely to help if she
a. perceives Patricia as responsible for her predicament.
b. is low on agreeability.
c. endorses the norm of justice more than the norm of social responsibility.
d. has a shared identity with Patricia.
ANSWER: d

Name: Class: Date:
107. People in exchange relationships are more likely than those in communal relationships to
a. exhibit pure altruism toward one another.
b. get angry at violations of the reciprocity norm.
c. feel good about helping one another.
d. demonstrate helping behavior in an effort to alleviate negative mood.
ANSWER: b
108. Research on the effects of helping in cross-race versus same-race situations shows that
a. people are more likely to help those of their own race.
b. people are more likely to help those of a different race.
c. there is not a consistent relationship between racial similarity and helping.
d. there is a strong tendency for people to help persons of all races equally.
ANSWER: c
109. Some cross-racial helping is not truly altruistic because it can be a sign of
a. kin selection.
b. trying to alleviate your negative mood.
c. social responsibility.
d. feelings of superiority over the person being helped.
ANSWER: d
110. Women are more likely than men to help others in situations involving
a. physical danger and an audience.
b. anonymous circumstances.
c. another man.
d. emotional support.
ANSWER: d
111. Men are more likely than women to help others in situations involving
a. physical danger and an audience.
b. anonymous circumstances.
c. another man.
d. emotional support.
ANSWER: a

Name: Class: Date:
112. Which of the following statements regarding gender and helping behavior is false?
a. Men, unlike women, often feel that their self-esteem is threatened by needing to ask for help from someone
else.
b. Men are more likely than women to offer help in a situation involving potential physical danger.
c. Men, unlike women, are more likely to offer help in situations where they can do so anonymously.
d. Men are less likely than women to receive help in an emergency situation.
ANSWER: c
113. Karen and Rob are talking to a mutual friend who suddenly breaks down and asks if one of them can stay and talk
about an important problem. Who is probably more likely to help?
a. Karen is more likely to help.
b. Rob is more likely to help.
c. Both are equally likely to help.
d. Whether Karen or Rob is more likely to help depends on the gender of the friend.
ANSWER: a
114. Support that comes from just thinking about close friends and family but that does not involve seeking or receiving
their help in coping with stressful events is called
a. implicit social support.
b. heroic altruism.
c. identity fusion.
d. communal relationship.
ANSWER: a
115. The collectivist cultures in which individualistic values, such as endorsing personal choice and tolerance for diversity,
have directly shown recent gains in rates of _________.
a. volunteering
b. donations
c. charity
d. social influence
ANSWER: a

Name: Class: Date:
116. Alain Cohn and others (2019) conducted a three-year study around the world to see how strangers would respond to
being handed a “lost” wallet. What conclusion did the researchers come to, as to why the strangers returned the
wallets that contained money?
a. The strangers did not want to violate a norm against taking someone’s money.
b. The strangers felt that nearby surveillance cameras had recorded them accepting the wallet.
c. The strangers wanted a reward for turning in the wallet.
d. The strangers were afraid of being accused of stealing the wallet.
ANSWER: a
117. If a person can be blamed for his or her predicament, he or she is less likely to receive help. This scenario is related
to ___.
a. social influence
b. reciprocal altruism
c. attributions of responsibility
d. reluctant altruism
ANSWER: c
118. Simon’s decision whether or not to help someone is based primarily on whether that person seems to deserve
assistance. Simon is motivated by concerns about
a. administrative rules.
b. equity.
c. social responsibility.
d. justice.
ANSWER: d
119. Kevin asks Winnie to drive him to the airport. Though Winnie doesn’t really want to, she agrees because Kevin
loaned her money last week. Winnie agreed to help as an act of
a. altruism.
b. reciprocity.
c. empathy.
d. cooperation.
ANSWER: b

Name: Class: Date:
120. Which of the following observations best illustrates the act of reciprocity that can influence helping behavior?
a. If someone has the opportunity to help you but chooses not to, you are less likely to offer them assistance
when they need it in the future.
b. Individuals are more likely to offer assistance to others who are perceived to be “deserving” of help.
c. When people are in a situation in which they feel that they have received more benefits than they really have
earned, they are eager to help those who are underbenefited.
d. Instead of helping others out of concern for their well-being, sometimes we offer assistance simply to avoid
looking bad.
ANSWER: a
121. Using virtual technology, Marco Zanon and his colleagues found that people showing heightened activation in neural
regions are associated with perspective taking. Moreover, these were the individuals who were most likely to risk
their virtual lives to help the trapped other person. Zanon points to a(n) _______ personality.
a. altruistic
b. reciprocal altruistic
c. reluctant altruistic
d. enduring
ANSWER: a
122. Steven feels that drug addicts often deserve their plight. He still donates clothes to a rehabilitation center with the
thought that someday someone will also help him out. Steven’s thoughts regarding his actions are most consistent
with
a. empathy.
b. reluctant altruism.
c. altruistic personality.
d. reciprocal altruism.
ANSWER: d
123. Meryl spends most of her vacation time volunteering in Somalia as she feels strongly about the plight of children
there. Meryl’s thoughts regarding her actions are consistent with
b. empathy–altruism hypothesis.
c. self-interested goals.
d. social influence.
ANSWER: b

Name: Class: Date:
124. Hye-su is thinking about how proud her parents are that she is in college, and how much they believe in her. This
makes her feel more capable about her ability to succeed in college. Hye-su is benefiting from
a. implicit social support.
b. explicit social support.
c. internal motivation.
d. external motivation.
ANSWER: a
125. One way for the social connection of a community to increase is to

a. experience a natural disaster.
b. become wealthier.
c. increase its ratio of men to women.
d. provide financial incentives to those who connect to others.
ANSWER: a
126. Eleanor is asked to help the people who live on the other side of the city restore their block after it was burned down
in a fire. It is most probable that she will help if ____ the people on the other side of the city.
a. her personality is similar to that of
b. her values are similar to those of
c. she has the same social status as
d. she feels a meaningful connection with
ANSWER: d
127. One reason that perceived similarity may increase helping is that it
a. causes people to think about their values.
b. enables people to see the power of the situation.
c. breaks down dispositional inferences.
d. provides a meaningful connection between the helper and the person being helped.
ANSWER: d

Name: Class: Date:
128. We help our family and our friends more than strangers. We tend to be more helpful when we are empathic toward
the plight of others. Diffusion of responsibility is reduced if we anticipate making the acquaintance of someone who
needs help. All of these examples illustrate
a. the influence of social support on behavior.
b. the underlying human need for social connections.
c. the predisposition for people to help others.
d. the conflict between altruistic and egocentric motives.
ANSWER: b
129. Explain how empathy affects helping.

ANSWER: The empathy–altruism hypothesis proposes that people are more likely to help someone altruistically if
they take his or her perspective. Doing so creates an emotional response or concern for this other
person, which in turn creates a motive to help that is satisfied when his or her distress is reduced. This
hypothesis suggests, then, that helping is sometimes altruistic, not egoistic. Some would argue, however,
that there is no such thing as pure altruism, and that all helping behavior includes an egoistic component.
130. Describe how the presence of bystanders affects helping.

ANSWER: When bystanders are present, a victim is less likely to receive help. Bystanders impede helping by
reducing the likelihood that potential helpers will (1) notice that the victim needs help, (2) interpret the
situation as an emergency, (3) take responsibility for helping, (4) decide to offer help, and finally (5)
provide help. These factors together make it less likely that a victim will be helped by someone in a
crowd than by a single individual.
131. Describe how moods, both good and bad, affect helping.
ANSWER: Both good and bad moods can lead to increased helping. When in good moods, positive thoughts
become more accessible, leading to more consideration of helping others. In addition, people in good
moods may help more in order to maintain these moods. Alternatively, people in bad moods may help
more in order to remove their guilt or to rid themselves of the bad moods. This is known as the negative
state relief model. It should be noted, however, that bad moods only tend to increase helping in adults
and older children.
132. Is there such a thing as an altruistic personality? Why or why not?

ANSWER: There are certainly reliable individual differences that predict one’s propensity for helping. For example,
agreeableness is a widely recognized personality trait that is positively related to helping behavior.
Humility seems to promote helping behavior. Yet the two traits that seem most closely linked to helping
behavior—empathy and moral reasoning—are not generally recognized as personality traits per se.
That is, they are not part of the Big Five model, which is the most widely recognized model of
personality among academic researchers in social psychology. They may be better labeled “individual
difference” variables rather than “personality” traits.

Name: Class: Date:
133. Discuss how identity fusion is related to the likelihood that one will provide help to others.
ANSWER: How strongly connected people feel with an ingroup can influence how willing they are to help fellow
group members. William Swann and Michael Buhrmester (2015) report that people who experience
identity fusion with a group—that is, a strong sense of “oneness” and shared identity with a group and
its individual members—are more likely to help group members, even to the point of risking or
sacrificing their lives in the process. The groups to which people feel fused may even be relatively large
and abstract. Buhrmester and Swann (2015) measured how fused a sample of Americans felt with
their country. The researchers couldn’t have known this, of course, but a week later there was a
terrorist bombing at the 2013 Boston Marathon. Two days after the bombing the researchers contacted
the participants again and asked them what actions, if any, they had taken to help the victims of the
bombing. The more fused the participants were with their country, the more likely they were to have
taken actions to provide support for the victims.
134. Identify two characteristics of a person in need that might affect the likelihood that the person is helped.
ANSWER: Answers to this question will vary but may include the following points: attractive people tend to be
helped more than unattractive people, as do individuals who are not considered to be responsible for
their predicament. We are also more likely to help those who are similar and those who share family or
group ties with us.
135. Discuss the helping connection between the helper and the help receiver.
ANSWER: A sense of connection fosters helping. This connection has taken various forms: genetic relatedness,
empathic concern, sense of responsibility for someone, perceived similarity, shared group membership,
and so on. The relationship between helping and interpersonal connection runs like a bright red thread
through much of the research on helping:
People are prone to help their kin, ingroup members, and people with whom they have a close or
reciprocal relationship.
Two kinds of connections lie at the heart of the empathy–altruism hypothesis: the cognitive connection of
perspective taking and the emotional connection of empathic concern.
In an emergency, bystanders who know the victim or know each other are more likely to intervene.
People who respond empathically to another’s suffering and consider the plight of others in their own
moral reasoning are more likely to help than are others.
Perceived similarity increases helping.

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Chapter 10-Helping Others

1. Actions intended to benefit others are called ____ behaviors.

4. Evolutionary perspectives on helping behavior suggest that individuals

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Chapter 10-Helping Others

7. The principle of kin selection is based on the assumption that

9. Which of the following statements about reciprocal altruism is most accurate?

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12. Online file-sharing websites depend on the idea of

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16. Which of the following statements about empathy is most accurate?

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19. As compared to feelings of personal distress, empathic concern

23. The negative state relief model of helping behavior

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25. People who have experienced distressing or traumatic events

27. Helping in the face of ____ costs is best described as ____.

28. “Good Samaritan” laws

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40. Research by Batson on the empathy–altruism hypothesis suggests that

41. For doctors and nurses, too much empathy can be

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46. The bystander effect refers to the tendency for

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65. The bystander effect can be reduced if

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72. Research suggests that the bystander effect

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74. People are less likely to notice an emergency if they

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78. An important element of helping in Spanish and Latin-American cultures is called

80. People are probably most helpful when the weather is

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87. Research suggests that negative moods tend to enhance helping

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27. Helping in the face of costs is best described as .