Microsoft Word Chapter 1 done doc

Emotions and prosocial behaviour –
 
 
Our emotional state or moods are influenced by both 
external and internal conditions. On any day we may experience 
rapid mood changes. These contrasting feelings have their impact 
or the prosocial behaviour. There is a general assumption 
suggesting that we are more likely to help if we are in a good mood 
as compared with when we are in a bad mood. Research done in 
this area suggests that there is no such simple relationship in the 
prosocial behaviour and our moods. 
Prosocial behaviour and Positive emotions –
Every child quickly learns that it is better to request 
something, when parents are in a good mood. This extended to the 
prosocial acts also. Research suggest that people are more willing 
to help when they are in a good mood, may be when they are for 

---

123
some nice outings, or when they have watched some comedy film.
(Cunningham 1997). 
This may not be always the case. A bystander, who is in the 
positive mood, may not be willing to help, because that may 
interfere with their good mood. Helping may require them to 
perform actions that are difficult and unpleasant. 
Negative Emotions and Prosocial behaviour –  
It is generally belived that when a person is in the bad mood 
he is less likely to help. But if such helping act generates positive 
feelings, people in the bad mood are more likely to help as 
compared with people in neutral or positive mood. (Ciadini Kenrick 
and Bauman 1982). This is explained by the negative state relief 
model of prosocial behaviour. 
Empathy – There are individual differences, with regard to helping 
behaviour. Some people are move likely to help as compared to 
others. These differences are produced by both biological factors 
and personal experiences of an individual. 
Genetic difference in empathy were studied by Davis Lace, 
and Kraus. They examined more than 800 identical twins and no 
identical twins. They found that empathy, sympathetic concern for 
other is influenced by hereditary factors whereas cognitive empathy 
(taking perspective of other person) is not influenced by hereditary 
factors. The external factors are responsible for the development 
of cognitive empathy. 
Psychologist Janet Strayer (Azar 1997) suggests that we are 
all born with the biological and cognitive capacities but our personal 
experiences determine whether this empathy will be blocked or 
repressed. Schools play an important role in the development of 
empathy. In our primary school, the school programmes encourage 
children to be honest, help and respect others. The prosocial model 
depicted in media also encourages empathy. Psychologist Robert 
Coles (1997) emphasized the importance of mothers and fathers in 
shaping such behaviours in his book titled as “Moral Intelligence of 
children”, he suggests that it is necessary to teach children to be 
good or kind and to think about other people rather than just about 
themselves. This study was performed on two groups of male 
students. One belonging to German cultural background and other 
group belonging to Muslim cultural background. They performed a 
task in which they learned about a serious problem faced by a 
person (he had no money, and had to find a place in a new city).
The person was described either belonging to their own group or 
other group. After this the participants were required to indicate 

---

124
their empathy for person on a test and a like hood of helping this 
person. The researchers predicted that empathy would be stronger 
for the member of own group rather than for a member of other 
social group.
The results also showed that participants helped the person, 
who is perceived to be similar to themselves. The findings are very 
much similar to kinship selection theory of prosocial behaviour that 
suggests that we help people who share similar genes, may be 
belonging to same culture or same ethnic group.