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Responsibility Predicts Anticipated Reactions of Guilt and Warm Glow in Helping Situations

Jungstrand, Amanda LU (2014) PSYK11 20141
Department of Psychology
Abstract
The aim of this paper was to investigate the relationship between experienced responsibility to help, anticipated guilt (negative emotions) when imagining not helping and anticipated warm glow (positive emotions) when imagining helping. The aim was also to see how these anticipations predict the probability to help. In total, 283 people from a university area in Sweden participated in the studies. Four factors that affect experienced responsibility to help were chosen: (a) amount of effort to help a victim, (b) whose fault it was that a victim needs help, (c) other bystanders present to help a victim and (d) relationship to a victim. These factors were varied into levels in four different scenarios. The validation of these levels of... (More)
The aim of this paper was to investigate the relationship between experienced responsibility to help, anticipated guilt (negative emotions) when imagining not helping and anticipated warm glow (positive emotions) when imagining helping. The aim was also to see how these anticipations predict the probability to help. In total, 283 people from a university area in Sweden participated in the studies. Four factors that affect experienced responsibility to help were chosen: (a) amount of effort to help a victim, (b) whose fault it was that a victim needs help, (c) other bystanders present to help a victim and (d) relationship to a victim. These factors were varied into levels in four different scenarios. The validation of these levels of responsibility in the scenarios was made in a pilot study. The participants were to rate: their anticipated guilt when imagining not helping, their anticipated warm glow when imagining helping and the probability that they would help. The results partially supported the hypotheses. As experienced responsibility to help increased, the anticipation of guilt when imagining not helping increased (hypothesis 1) in all scenarios. As experienced
responsibility to help decreased, the anticipation of warm glow when imagining helping increased (hypothesis 2) in some scenarios. However, the last hypotheses were not supported. Anticipated guilt did not predict help better when experienced responsibility to help was high compared to low (hypothesis 3) and anticipated warm glow did not predict help better when experienced responsibility to help was low compared to high (hypothesis 4). (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Syftet med den här uppsatsen var att undersöka relationen mellan upplevt ansvar att hjälp, förväntad skuld (negativa känslor) när man föreställer sig att man inte hjälper och förväntad warm glow (positiva känslor) när man föreställer sig att man hjälper. Syftet var också att se hur dessa förväntningar predicerar sannolikheten att hjälpa. Totalt 283 personer från ett universitetsområde i Sverige deltog i studierna. Fyra faktorer som påverkar upplevt ansvar att hjälpa valdes ut: (a) mängden ansträngning att hjälpa ett offer, (b) vems fel det var att ett offer behöver hjälp, (c) andra åskådare närvarande att hjälpa ett offer och (d) relationen till ett offer. Dessa faktorer varierades i nivåer i fyra olika scenarier. Valideringen av dessa... (More)
Syftet med den här uppsatsen var att undersöka relationen mellan upplevt ansvar att hjälp, förväntad skuld (negativa känslor) när man föreställer sig att man inte hjälper och förväntad warm glow (positiva känslor) när man föreställer sig att man hjälper. Syftet var också att se hur dessa förväntningar predicerar sannolikheten att hjälpa. Totalt 283 personer från ett universitetsområde i Sverige deltog i studierna. Fyra faktorer som påverkar upplevt ansvar att hjälpa valdes ut: (a) mängden ansträngning att hjälpa ett offer, (b) vems fel det var att ett offer behöver hjälp, (c) andra åskådare närvarande att hjälpa ett offer och (d) relationen till ett offer. Dessa faktorer varierades i nivåer i fyra olika scenarier. Valideringen av dessa ansvarsnivåer gjordes i en pilotstudie. Deltagarnas uppgift var att skatta: sin förväntade skuld när de föreställde sig att de inte hjälpte, sin förväntade warm glow när de föreställde sig att de hjälpte och sannolikheten att de skulle hjälpa. Resultaten gav delvis stöd för hypoteserna. När upplevt ansvar att hjälpa ökade, ökade förväntad skuld när deltagarna föreställde sig att de inte skulle hjälpa (hypotes 1) i alla scenarier. När upplevt ansvar att hjälpa minskade, ökade förväntad warm glow när deltagarna föreställde sig att de skulle hjälpa (hypotes 2) i vissa scenarier. De sista hypoteserna stöddes däremot ej. Förväntad skuld predicerade inte hjälp bättre när upplevt ansvar att hjälpa var högt jämfört med lågt (hypotes 3) och förväntad warm glow predicerade inte hjälp bättre när upplevt ansvar att hjälpa var lågt jämfört med högt (hypotes 4). (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Jungstrand, Amanda LU
supervisor
organization
course
PSYK11 20141
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
helping, responsibility to help, anticipated guilt, anticipated warm glow, help motivation, helping emotions
language
English
id
4463553
date added to LUP
2014-06-16 09:10:34
date last changed
2015-04-23 15:32:06
@misc{4463553,
  abstract     = {{The aim of this paper was to investigate the relationship between experienced responsibility to help, anticipated guilt (negative emotions) when imagining not helping and anticipated warm glow (positive emotions) when imagining helping. The aim was also to see how these anticipations predict the probability to help. In total, 283 people from a university area in Sweden participated in the studies. Four factors that affect experienced responsibility to help were chosen: (a) amount of effort to help a victim, (b) whose fault it was that a victim needs help, (c) other bystanders present to help a victim and (d) relationship to a victim. These factors were varied into levels in four different scenarios. The validation of these levels of responsibility in the scenarios was made in a pilot study. The participants were to rate: their anticipated guilt when imagining not helping, their anticipated warm glow when imagining helping and the probability that they would help. The results partially supported the hypotheses. As experienced responsibility to help increased, the anticipation of guilt when imagining not helping increased (hypothesis 1) in all scenarios. As experienced
responsibility to help decreased, the anticipation of warm glow when imagining helping increased (hypothesis 2) in some scenarios. However, the last hypotheses were not supported. Anticipated guilt did not predict help better when experienced responsibility to help was high compared to low (hypothesis 3) and anticipated warm glow did not predict help better when experienced responsibility to help was low compared to high (hypothesis 4).}},
  author       = {{Jungstrand, Amanda}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Responsibility Predicts Anticipated Reactions of Guilt and Warm Glow in Helping Situations}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}