Analysis of Helping Behaviors, Essay Example

When disaster strikes it is a life changing. When a natural disaster Hurricane Katrina tore through the south in 2005, millions were affected including the rest of the world as they watched in horror. In situations where natural disaster occur, many people will display behaviors that were brought on due to loss of a loved one, possessions, homes, abandonment, fear, greed, or other social behaviors that were unlike their personality before the events. In the article , “Aid in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: Inferences of Secondary Emotions and Intergroup Helping,” this paper will briefly analyze the prosocial and antisocial behaviors of Hurricane Katrina and a current event while applying concepts, and theories discussed in the course.

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina laid devastating waste to the states of Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Alabama. Hurricane Katrina destroyed homes, schools, office buildings, highways, street, and countless other structures. Most devastatingly, Hurricane Katrina destroyed millions of lives. The events that occurred during Hurricane Katrina and the years there after have taken an emotional, physical, economic, and social change in people that were directly and indirectly affected. In the article, “Aid in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: Inferences of Secondary Emotions and Intergroup Helping.” The article conducts a study that analyzes the infra-humanization behaviors displayed in in-groups and out-groups of people affected. In the study, the participants that were surveyed were left with the task of deciding if these behaviors influenced their desire to help. The result showed that when the emotions interfered in helping,” First, people are more generous toward personalized victims than they are toward aggregated victims” (Small & Loewenstein, 2003). To explain better people will humanize a child dying of cancer and donate, but will not have the same effect if a collective group were to be dying of cancer. Much emotion is placed on seeing people in tragedy as others watching will empathized with them. When this emotion is elicited the willingness to pour out donations are increased. The study resulted in showing, “people did not differentiate in-group and out group victims on inferences of primary emotions, such as fear and sadness as expected.” (Cuddy et al, 2009) Another result the study showed was, “that empathizing with a victim’s experience of primary emotions (e.g. fear) does not lead to greater helping, but empathizing with a victim’s experience of secondary emotions (e.g. morning) does.”(Cuddy et al, 2009)

In the Hurricane Katrina study, prosocial behavior was displayed when people were willing to help. Even at first when help was displayed, an insurmountable scrutiny brought on by social, and media outlets pushed for others to send aid to those in need. A current event were prosocial behavior was exhibited, was in the tragic events of the mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado. Millions watched in horror after multiple updates added up the body count of the heinous act. Throughout all the tragedy millions poured into funds for relief for the victims and families that were either killed or injured. These funds would be used in order to pay for medical bills, funeral costs, and living costs for their families. (Fox31, 2012) These acts of prosocial behavior showed how many people were willing to help without an expectation of receiving a reward or a thank you. As people displayed prosocial behavior, within the same event people show antisocial behavior as well. Many people sought out to sue the Movie Company over the death or injury of a movie goer that they were not personally connected to. Many false foundations were set up to collect funds, and many people reported false injuries or emotional impact to receive donations. These behaviors showed the negative impact of how natural disasters will bring out the greed, scheming nature of individuals willing to capitalize off another person’s tragedy. (Alcinder &Dorell, 2012)

Researchers have yet to identify what in a person’s personality would make someone helpful to others. The characteristics that are common in those individuals are the ability to empathize with others, and have a moral obligation to be helpful regardless of a person’s background. There are many theoretical perspectives that could be applied to these events. In the cases of Hurricane Katrina and Aurora Shooting, the relevant perspective is the sociocultural perspective. When Hurricane Katrina occurred much media attention was focused on the lack of immediate response that eventually would push foundations and people to pour in donations and aid. For the Aurora Shooting, people were so shocked at the randomness of the crime that they empathized with the victims as their stories would air on the news of family and friends lost. The culture mentality of helping those in need therefore affected the majority of the United States. With the sociocultural perspective, the social norm was to help those that were in much greater need than themselves. The decision making perspective also could be applied as many came to the decision that the victims in both situations needed immense relief. The donators provided and did so without thinking to receive something in return. In times of disasters peoples, true traits show their character by willing to help or willing to take advantage.

References

Alcindor, Yamiche & Oren Dorell. (2012). Aurora shooting shows: After tragedy comes controversy. USA Today. Retrieved from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-09-01/aurora-victims-compensation/57506704/1

Cuddy, Et Al. “Aid in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: Inferences of Secondary Emotions and Intergroup Helping.” (2007). SAGE. Retrieved from http://gpi.sagepub.com

Family, friends and strangers rally to help Aurora shooting victim. (2012). FOX31. Retrieved from http://kdvr.com/2012/08/05/family-friends-and-strangers-rally-to-help-aurora-shooting-victim/