Prosocial behavior is primarily related to theories and ideas of helping. It is described as the interaction between caregivers and recipients (Hewstone and Stroebe, 2001). Prosocial behavior can be understood as behavior that has social consequences that can contribute positively to the well-being of another person (Wispe, 1972 cited by Malim and Birch, 1998). The consequence of prosocial behavior is benefiting others, so this essay will examine the role of sympathy and empathy in the study of behavior in helping situations. The value and success of helping the individual will be assessed, as well as the positive and negative aspects of empathy and sympathy. This essay will begin by expanding on the definition of prosocial behavior already given, before discussing sympathy and empathy in depth. The essay will also discuss social explanations of helping and show how empathy is related. He will then discuss a theory of empathy and prosocial behavior, some aspects of which should have been covered throughout. The conclusion will summarize the author's argument, and there will be evidence and examples throughout the essay. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay As noted earlier, prosocial behavior is related to helping. It is encouraged in cultures where extended families are the norm - for example in India - and where responsibilities are greater but the social structure simpler (Eisenberg & Musen, 1989 cited by Kaplan, 1998). These are generally collectivist societies, which represent approximately seventy percent of the world's population. Cultures that emphasize community rather than individualism are more likely to produce people who are prosocial and conformist in nature (Stevenson, 1991 cited by Kaplan, 1998). Those who grow up in rural areas are also more likely to be prosocial than those in urban areas (Eisenberg & Musen, 1989 as cited by Kaplan, 1998). Prosocial behavior is also voluntary but may be motivated by selfish reasons – ultimately, for the benefit of the self – or by altruistic motivations. - benefit another person (Brehm et al, 1999; Hewstone & Stroebe, 2001). Altruistic behavior: a refined form of prosocial behavior: is characterized by empathy and perspective taking (Hewstone & Stroebe, 2001). Prosocial behavior will increase with age (Durkin, 1995 and Peterson, 1983 cited by Kaplan, 1998), as people become more considerate of others' points of view (Kaplan, 1998) and show more empathy (Eisenberg et al, 1996 cited by Kaplan, 1998). . This shows that the role of empathy in the study of prosocial behavior is essential. Empathy is defined as the ability to understand the feelings of others (Soanes, 2001; www.infoplease.com). Sympathy is a feeling of sadness and pity for the misfortune of others, but it is also an understanding of this (Soanes, 2001; www.infoplease.com). The author has decided to largely ignore the phrase sympathy in the rest of this essay, focusing instead on empathy, for two reasons. The first is that the two words have a closely related meaning, and the second is that the literature reviewed on the subject has little to say about sympathy – focusing more on the term empathy. Empathy is triggered when an individual witnesses the emotional state of another person. (Hewstone and Stroebe, 2001; Kaplan, 1998). This is the result of taking the other person's point of view and understanding their emotions(Hewstone and Stroebe, 2001). For example, a friend may come to you with a problem and you imagine yourself in that position to better understand it. Empathy can be experienced through moral reasoning (Eisenberg et al, 1996 cited by Kaplan, 1998) and the capacity for empathy is a good indicator of prosocial behavior (Roberts & Strayer, 1996 cited by Kaplan, 1998). People who focus on themselves are less likely to be helpful than those who care about others (Kaplan,1998). There appears to be a biological link in altruistic behavior towards others due to genetic similarity – this is reinforced across diverse cultures (Krebs & Miller, 1985 cited by Lord, 1997). However, the author believes that this is not always the case. The choice to “bail out” a friend or family member may well depend on previous experiences, of which the friend may have been considerably more successful. Empathy has both cognitive and emotional components (Eisenberg et al, 1996 cited by Kaplan, 1998). A major cognitive component is that of perspective taking: using the imagination to see the world through the eyes of others. By perceiving a person in need and imagining their feelings, you can experience feelings of empathic concern. The result is that you have an altruistic motivation to help. This can be identified in a large-scale tragedy. One of the most recent examples of this is the events of September 11, 2001. After witnessing the horror of the two planes crashing into the twin towers of the World Trade Center - some of which was broadcast live on the television - people were overcome with emotion. of sorrow and sympathy. Many firefighters and other rescue workers rushed to the site to save as many people as possible - an example of selfless helping - only to ultimately lose their lives in the process when the towers collapsed. The example also shows that people are willing to help when the cost to them is high, but this is usually not the case. People - in Western societies - are more likely to help when the cost to them is low, but the benefit is high. This can be demonstrated by one of four types of social relations in society: market prices. Market pricing involves minimum cost with maximum gain (Lord, 1997). Everything, including aid, has a price (Fiske, 1991 cited by Lord, 1997). People help each other in proportion to their own costs and the needs of others: the “fairness norm” (Greenberg and Cohen, 1982, and Krebs, 1982 cited by Lord, 1997). For example, a friend asks you to buy her groceries because she can't come to the store until tomorrow. You weigh the cost of traveling to the store with his food needs before deciding whether or not to fulfill his request - if the cost is too high (for example, you need to buy gas), you will likely refuse or negotiate before helping him. Market pricing seems like a very selfish way to help. A negative aspect of market pricing is that it opens up opportunities for things such as slavery (Lord, 1997). A second social relationship is that of equality. This involves matching favors equally (Lord, 1997). People want to maintain equal status (Fiske, 1991 cited by Lord, 1997). However, there is scope for revenge as people feel that others have contributed more or less (Lord, 1997). The third is that of authority ranking – the idea of ​​helping others with a different status (higher or lower) because of a responsibility to do so (Lord, 1997). People are willing to protect each other because there is no personal gain and.