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A casual observation of the human life, which involves day-to day interactions with others, asks the question, "Why do people help one another?"To answer this, we must break it down to smaller questions of events that take place during the human day-to-day routine.Why do we give to food banks or send money to a needy child in a third world country?Why do we hold the door open for the stranger behind us? Why do we stay up all night to comfort a friend who has just suffered a broken heart? Often the answer is that we help because we have no choice, because it is expected, or because it is in our own self-interest.A social psychology theory known as altruism specifically addresses the reasons of why we help individuals who are merely strangers to us. Psychologists define altruism as behaviour exhibited by one individual to benefit another, showing no direct gain but resulting in some cost for the first individual. It appears as though the individual who goes out of their way to help another person deviates from the social norm which may appear surprising. However, there is much argument about the nature of the motivation. Is it altruistic, or is it egoistic? Before we discuss why people help others, we must consider if our help for others is always and exclusively motivated by the prospect of some benefit for ourselves, or a selfless act for the sake of the person we are helping rather than our own.Take for example and egotistic scenario.On the night of March 1, 164, upon returning to her apartment in Queens around am; Kitty Genovese was attacked at knifepoint by a rapist.Thirty-eight of her neighbours that surrounded her apartment complex watched and listened from their windows for thirty-five minutes while she screamed in terror.While Kitty lay hopelessly awaiting her death no one attempted to call the police.This is a prime example of what Psychologists refer to as the bystander effect.This involves the non-intervention of bystanders in a critical instance such as injuries, emergencies, or something so minor such as not helping an elderly woman up from a fall.Social psychologists believe the process of decision-making involves split second decisions where we sometime unconsciously consider or weigh our options (Moghaddam,18, p.01).The decision to help or not is made after doing a cost-benefit analysis of the situation, meaning that someone who helps wants to maximize their reward and minimize their costs.This is an example of the commonly known social exchange theory, where relatively selfish behaviour directly links to universal egotism.
What are the true intentions of an individual displaying altruistic intention?Situations such as volunteering at and old age home or stopping at the scene of an accident to see if someone needs help, appear to have no direct reward attached to these actions.One might claim that their actions were entirely altruistic and that no reward was expected or wanted, and it might be quite possible that they are telling the truth.We have all been in situations like this.However, how do we know that their intentions were not motivated by self-benefit or by the mere fact of appearing heroic or honourable?The problem lies within the weak definition of altruism.The definition from the Collins Canadian Dictionary states altruism is "acting for the good of others and not for benefiting oneself".Acting for the good of others is generally common, but at the same time universal egotism states that we act out of selfishness to benefit ourselves.So the internal joy that we get from volunteering at and old age home may really be benefiting oneself, in the form of bettering that person's public image.It is most likely that a person may feel that by volunteering and attending to the needs of the elderly is performing a good deed which in turn may take the place of a sin recently committed.Or those who volunteer through their church to become missionaries building houses in developing countries may be going for the experience to travel, or meet new people, and do a good deed.So by what is stated from the above definition is that these are not examples of altruistic behaviour whatsoever.On a similar note, the social exchange theory involves the thought process of whether to act or not relies on the cost-benefit analysis, which basically analyzes the situation and determines whether or not the person will benefit by helping.According to Myers, the social exchange theory actually takes the selfishness out of altruism, and implies that "an act is never genuinely altruistic; we merely call it 'altruistic' when the rewards are inconspicuous" (Myers, 1004, p. 1).It would appear that if one can not otherwise explain an action that is termed a good deed, we merely consider it altruistic behaviour.
Psychologists refer to the bystander effect when trying to find evidence that will refute what might appear to be of altruistic behaviour.In certain situations where people should display altruistic behaviour and do not had become a concern for social psychologists.If we look back to the murder of Kitty Genovese, the detectives who investigated her murder discovered that at least thirty-eight of her neighbours had witnessed at least one of the three attempts on her life and still not one person called the police.A call was to the police was eventually made after kitty had been dead for sometime.One theory for the failure to act is that observers put the responsibility on each other to make the phone call to the police.They all were aware of each other watching, so each figured that someone else would have made the call.When referring to the cost-benefit analysis, it is determined that the costs will out way the benefits.Therefore, if one were to act in an altruistic manner, it must benefit them or the costs will outweigh the benefits and the individual will refrain from acting.
Throughout this essay I have argued that altruism does not exist in its purest form.I do not deny that the existence of self-sacrifice behaviour or general concern for others does exist, but I believe that we're always in the service of some more or less subtle self benefit.By using such theories as the cost-benefit analysis of the social exchange theory, the diffusion of responsibility of the bystander effect, and the theory of universal egoism I have believe that I've proven that in every act of altruism there is a benefit for the actor, whether it is social acceptance, better public image, or self-gratification.
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