Altruistic drive and altruistic reinforcement.

Abstract

People will learn an instrumental conditioned response, the reinforcement for which is the deliverance of another human being from suffering. Three experiments demonstrated this basic effect (p < .01 or better), as well as altruistic analogs of magnitude of reinforcement (p < .003) and intermittent shock (/><.001). The finding that people will not only help others who are in need, but find it rewarding to do so, indicates that altruism is even more deeply rooted in people than had been previously demonstrated. The nature of altruistic motivation and reinforcement is discussed.

Subject Competence and Minimization of the Bystander Effect

“…Several theorists have argued that emergency situations produce arousal in the bystanders (Batson & Coke, 1983;Piliavin, Davidio, Gaertner, & Clark, 1981;Weiss, Boyer, Lombardo, & Stich, 1973). The rcsults of the present research contribute to these arguments.…”

How Personality and Gender May Relate to Individual Attitudes Toward Caring for and About Others

“…Some have studied why it is that different people react quite differently to the same set of circumstances (Dabrowski, 1964;Hoffman, 1994;Weiss, Boyer, Lombardo, & Stich, 1973). Dabrowski was a Polish psychiatrist who witnessed the terrible effects of both World Wars.…”

Empathy in Patient Care

“…For example, two studies indicated that watching others who appeared to be receiving electric shocks followed by a warning signal could cause observers to form empathic reactions to the warning signal (Berger, 1962;DiLollo & Berger, 1965). The observers terminated the electric shocks more quickly when they believed they were able to help (Weiss, Boyer, Lombardo, & Stich, 1973). These studies suggest that the empathic response can be elicited by classical and operant conditioning.…”