Bandura's Model Theory Of Altruism

ALTRUISM: It is true because U comes before I
Helping others in need or wanting to help someone in need, consciously or subconsciously, is something that society experience in everyday’s life. It can be opening a door for others, giving up seats in public transports or helping a blind man cross the road. It is common for humans to help others and expect something in return (Thomas Hobbes, 1651). However, in some instances, helping may not promise back a reward or benefits. It is plausible for one to help someone who is related to them genetically (e.g. father and son or sister and brother) but it is mystifying for one to help a complete stranger compassionately. With that, for many years, there have been numerous research and debates among

Baumeister and Bushmna (2008) pointed out that norms are expected ideas of behaviors in a particular culture or social group. As mentioned earlier, behavior can be modeled and looking from the perspective of Bandura’s modeling theory (1969), Hearold (1986) explained that media could model behavior. Programs shown on television that contained acts of behaviors will have an effect on the viewer. Likewise, children who are exposed to altruistic or egoistic behaviors, the children will likely imitate the behavior (Bryan & London, 1970). Cialdini (2003) also conducted an experiment asking visitors not to remove petrified woods from a park. Those who were told that past visitors did not removed the petrified woods are less likely to pick it up while those who were told that past visitors removed the petrified woods are more likely to pick it up. In another words, learning behaviors start young and society will also follow what they see or read about the norms. For example, a girl who sees someone helping others will become more likely to offer help to others. As seen, getting involved in helping behaviors are easy but whether the helping behavior is egoistic or altruistic will depend on what are being exposed and what motivates an individual to help others, which will be discuss

As supported in the study of Boe and Ponder (1981), blood donors exposed to positive norms are more likely to have intrinsic motivation and also scored high on altruism scales. Individuals are able to find themselves become altruistic if they see other people being altruistic too (Spector & Klein, 2006). However, it is easily argued that if one were to be altruistic based on other people’s action, then that will be considered egoistic because we are simply doing what others are doing. But considering the fact that behaviors can be modified based on modeling, as mentioned above, therefore it is not egoistic. For example, Mary sees Jack helping others altruistically, Mary’s behavior will slowly become altruistic because she watched and learned from Jack. Later, Mary learned and understood the behavior of altruism, she can either continue to help others altruistically or revert back to her old self. But if Mary continued helping people after getting to learn about altruism and not because of Jack’s influence, it shows that she is genuine in wanting to help others. Mary had constructed her own self-concept. Hence, self-concept plays a part in constructing behavior leading to either intrinsic or extrinsic motivation to help