Motivation to Help (Social Psychology)

MOTIVATION TO HELP

Motivation to Help (Name (College /University (Course (Date

Abstract

This paper discusses the social psychological perspective on helping It tackles the factors that lead people to help other people and the theoretical basis on such actions . It also includes a reflection on the altruistic property in helping

Motivation to Help

The murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964 as one of the most disturbing cases where almost 40 people were witnesses but none of them called the police in time to rescue her . This baffled social psychologists as

to how this was possible . The result of their investigation was the formation of the concept of the Genovese Syndrome . This condition is theorized to exist on certain emergency situations where people encounter a diffusion of responsibility . This was because of the notion that there will be someone who will carry out the responsibility (Alex 2008

On a personal account , an example of this behavior was observed in the sidewalk near a well-known shopping center . A lady , approximately aged 50 years was walking on the nearly crowded pavement when two men riding a motorcycle snatched her bag . It was not easily taken from her since she tried to defend herself and her belongings . The struggle made the two men shoot the lady until she was down on the sidewalk . The initial reaction of the people there was to run away from the scene . When the two men quickly left , the people slowly went towards the lady . Nobody helped until the...