The altruistic personality: In what contexts is it apparent?
Abstract
Hypotheses concerning the specifi c contexts in which an altruistic personality might be most apparent were investigated, College students completed questionnaires tapping components of an altruistic personality, emotionality, and social desirability.At a 2nd session, the emotional evocativeness and ease of escape from the helping situation were experimentally manipulated.Ss were exposed to a distressed woman, completed state sympathy and personal distress indexes, and were given an opportunity to assist the woman.High scorers on dispositional altruism were expected to assist most when escape was easy, particularly when the distress cues were obvious.Altruistic and emotionally reactive persons were also expected to help most in a psychologically "weak" environment.Both predictions were supported.The relations between helping and the other predictors were also examined.
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People help more often if they are confronted with signs of distress.
“if they are confronted with signs of distress [42], [43].”
From Short-term compassion training increases prosocial behavior in a newly developed prosocial game (2011) · cites this paper as [43]
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- Authors
- Carlo, G., Eisenberg, N., Troyer, D., Switzer, G., & Speer, A. L.
- Affiliations
- Arizona State University (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Published
- 1991
- Volume
- 61
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 450-458
- ISSN
- 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1315
- OpenAlex
- W2165314598
- Cited by
- 203
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 4.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Lincoln (University of Nebraska) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (8807784, 8917866)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (K04HD000717)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Psychology of Social Influence
- Keywords
- helping behavior, emotional reactivity, personal distress, social desirability, university students
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Altruism, Female, Helping Behavior, Humans, Male, Motivation, Personality Development, Social Desirability, Social Environment
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