Discuss to motives of helping and give practical examples
1. Egoistic helping
2. Altruistic helping
Empathy- altruism hypothesis
1. Egoistic helping: Egoistic helping can be motivated by the desire to receive something in return, such as praise, recognition, or material rewards. People may help others with the expectation of gaining social status or increasing their own self-esteem. For example, someone may donate to a charity in order to be seen as generous or kind by others, rather than out of a genuine concern for the well-being of those in need.
2. Altruistic helping: Altruistic helping is motivated by a genuine concern for the well-being of others, with no expectation of personal gain. This type of helping behavior is driven by empathy, compassion, and a desire to make a positive impact on the lives of others. For example, a person may volunteer at a soup kitchen to help feed the homeless because they genuinely care about the individuals in need and want to make a difference in their lives.
Empathy-altruism hypothesis: The empathy-altruism hypothesis suggests that empathy plays a key role in motivating altruistic helping behavior. When individuals feel empathy towards someone in need, they are more likely to help them out of a genuine desire to alleviate their suffering and improve their well-being, regardless of any potential personal benefits. For example, if someone witnesses a person struggling with a heavy load of groceries, their empathy may lead them to offer assistance simply to help ease the other person's burden, without expecting anything in return. In this way, empathy can be a powerful motivator for altruistic helping.