Semantically Induced Memories of Love and Helping Behavior

Abstract

This study tested the effect of semantically induced thoughts of love on helping behavior. In a natural setting, 253 participants were interviewed and asked to retrieve the memory of a love episode or, in the control condition, a piece of music they loved. They then met another confederate who asked for money. Analysis showed that inducing the idea of love had a significant positive effect on compliance to a request by a male passerby who was asked for help by a female confederate, but not by a female passerby. Theoretical explanations are presented, based on a gender-role expectation hypothesis.

Induced Reminiscence of Love and Chivalrous Helping

“…Despite this, archaic, symbolic, or anachronistic forms of chivalry may have survived, in which the male was perceived as strong and protector, while the female was perceived as weak, passive, in need of protection, and courteously treated (Moelker and Kümmel 2007).This "benevolent sexism" (Viki et al 2003) may result in those male prosocial behaviors that were mentioned above, that is, where women are treated more favourably for no other apparent reason than the fact that they are women. Lamy et al (2008) argued that the sex roles and expectations for helping may become more salient when participants are influenced with the idea of love. Love entails a taxonomy of relationship scripts (Forgas 1993) -for example, "love at first sight", long-standing marriages, platonic relationship.…”

Remember it with love: Effects of love priming on text recall

“…Thus it cannot be argued that they triggered different moods. Also, Lamy et al (2008 asked participants to "retrieve a love episode that has meant a great deal" to them, or, in the control group, to "retrieve a piece of music that has meant a great deal" to them. Participants in the love condition were more helpful than those in the control group.…”

“…In a recent research conducted by Förster, Özelsel, and Epstude (2010), priming was manipulated by asking participants to imagine a walk with a person they are in love with (love priming), a walk with an old friend (friendship priming), or a one-night stand with a person they are attracted to (lust priming). This love priming condition is close to the semantic induction of love used in a set of studies (Fischer-Lokou, Lamy, Fischer-Lokou, & Guéguen, 2008) where participants were asked to retrieve the memory of a partner they had been deeply in love with. In the present research, we shall not refer to semantic priming, but to priming or semantic induction procedures, i.e., when participants are exposed to a word or semantic category that is supposed to influence their cognitive, behavioral, or emotional responses.…”

“…The relationship between semantic induction of love and helpfulness has also been investigated in natural, urban settings. When primed with the concept of love, through a brief questionnaire, and asked to remember a loved one, men were more helpful towards women passersby requiring assistance Lamy et al, 2008Lamy et al, , 2009). These studies showed that the concept of love can have a powerful inductive effect on prosocial behavior, particularly in the case of chivalrous helping (Dovidio & Penner, 2001).…”

The effect of the word “love” on compliance to a request for humanitarian aid: An evaluation in a field setting

“…In a natural setting, Lamy, Fischer-Lokou, and Gue´guen (2008) asked participants in the street to recall a memory involving love or a piece of music they had appreciated. Afterwards participants met another confederate who asked them for money.…”