4.3.C—Explain how prosocial behavior affects behavior and mental processes

Explain how prosocial behavior affects behavior and mental processes.

• Altruism refers to selfless behavior, but some researchers suggest that people act in prosocial ways due to incurring social debt. The social reciprocity norm and the social responsibility norm explain this type of behavior.
• The bystander effect demonstrates that situational and attentional variables predict whether someone is likely to help another person.