The Psychology of Prosocial Behavior

Group Processes, Intergroup Relations, and Helping

Stürmer, Stefan / Snyder, Mark (Editor)

1. Edition August 2009
464 Pages, Softcover
Textbook

ISBN: 978-1-4051-7880-8

John Wiley & Sons

Short Description

The study of helping is among the key issues of social psychological research. It relates to fundamental questions about human nature and to pressing social problems. The Psychology of Prosocial Behavior provides original contributions that examine current perspectives and promising directions for future research on helping behaviors and related issues. With an emphasis on helping in the context of social groups and large organizations, this volume presents a new and distinctive perspective that links research on prosocial behavior to interventions designed to foster helping in real world settings.

Further versions

The Psychology of Prosocial Behavior provides original contributions that examine current perspectives and promising directions for future research on helping behaviors and related core issues.
* Covers contributions which deal explicitly with interventions designed to foster out-group helping (and to improve its quality) in real world settings
* Provides the reader with a cohesive look at helping and prosocial behaviors using a combination of theoretical work with research on interventions in applied settings
* Examines helping from multiple perspectives in order to recognize the diverse influences that promote actions for the benefit of others
* Contributors to this volume include cutting-edge researchers using both field studies and laboratory experiments

List of Contributors

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part I: Motivations for Helping In-Group and Out-Group Members

Part II: Consequences of Giving or Receiving Help in the Context of Groups

Part III: Intervention Strategies: Targeting Individuals, Groups, and Organizations

Part IV: The Broader Picture: Political and Societal Implications

Bibliography

Author Index

Subject Index

Stefan Stürmer, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at the Fern Universität in Hagen (Germany), and the Chair in Social Psychology. In his research, he investigates inter- and intragroup processes, with a particular emphasis on the role of group processes in social movement participation, cooperation, helping, and altruism. He also serves as a consultant for various city councils and community agencies, concerning measures and policies to foster community action and civic participation.

Mark Snyder, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at the University of Minnesota, where he holds the McKnight Presidential Chair in Psychology and is the Director of the Center for the Study of the Individual and Society. His research examines the motivational foundations of individual and collective action. He is recipient of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology's Donald T. Campbell Award and the Kurt Lewin Award of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. He is the author of the book, Public Appearances/Private Realities: The Psychology of Self-Monitoring, and co-editor of Cooperation: The Political Psychology of Effective Human Interaction.

S. Stürmer, Fern University in Hagen; M. Snyder, University of Minnesota