Prosocial Behaviour » Similarity to Victim

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

How similarity to victims affects prosocial behaviour
Key research studies on similarity and helping behaviour
The different types of similarity that influence helping
Real-world applications of similarity effects
How to evaluate research on similarity to victims

Introduction to Similarity to Victim

Have you ever noticed that you're more likely to help someone who reminds you of yourself? This is no coincidence! When we see similarities between ourselves and others, we're often more willing to lend a hand. This psychological phenomenon is called the "similarity effect" and it's a key factor in prosocial behaviour.

Key Definitions:

Prosocial behaviour: Actions that benefit others, such as helping, sharing, donating, cooperating and volunteering.
Similarity effect: The tendency for people to help others who they perceive as similar to themselves.
In-group bias: The tendency to favour people who are part of your own social group.

👥 Why Similarity Matters

When we see someone who is similar to us in need, we're more likely to:

Feel empathy for their situation
Identify with their problems
Believe we could be in their position someday
Feel a sense of connection and responsibility

🧠 Types of Similarity

Similarity can be based on many factors:

Physical appearance
Attitudes and beliefs
Experiences and background
Group membership (nationality, religion, etc.)
Shared interests or hobbies

The Psychology Behind Similarity Effects

Psychologists have identified several reasons why we're more likely to help people who are similar to us:

💡 Empathy

We find it easier to understand and share the feelings of people who are like us, making their distress feel more real to us.

🤝 Social Identity

We see similar others as part of our "in-group," which triggers a sense of loyalty and responsibility to help them.

💭 Self-Interest

Helping similar others can feel like helping a future version of ourselves, which appeals to our self-interest.

Key Research Studies

Emswiller, Deaux and Willits (1971)

This classic study showed how even small similarities can increase helping behaviour:

Researchers approached people and asked for a 10p coin
The researchers either dressed similarly to the participants or differently
Results: People were twice as likely to give money when the person asking was dressed similarly to them
Conclusion: Even superficial similarities can increase prosocial behaviour

Case Study Focus: Levine's Football Fans Study

Mark Levine and colleagues (2005) conducted a clever experiment with football fans:

They staged a scenario where a runner fell and appeared injured
The runner wore either the same football team shirt as the participant, a rival team's shirt, or a plain shirt
Results: 92% of participants helped when the victim wore the same team shirt, compared to only 33% when wearing a rival team's shirt
Significance: This shows how group identity (supporting the same team) creates a powerful sense of similarity that promotes helping behaviour

Different Types of Similarity Effects

Physical Similarity

Research shows we're more likely to help people who physically resemble us:

We tend to help people of our own ethnicity more readily
We're more likely to help people in our age group
Even similar clothing or hairstyles can increase helping behaviour

This effect may be partly unconscious and relates to evolutionary psychology - we're programmed to help those who might share our genes.

Attitudinal Similarity

Sharing beliefs, values and opinions with someone makes us more likely to help them:

Political views can influence who we choose to help
Religious similarities often increase charitable giving
Shared moral values create a sense of connection that promotes helping

📖 Experiential Similarity

Having gone through similar experiences as someone in need makes us much more likely to help them:

People who have recovered from addiction are more likely to help current addicts
Cancer survivors often volunteer to support current patients
Those who have experienced homelessness are more likely to help homeless people

🌎 Cultural Similarity

Shared cultural background creates a sense of kinship that promotes helping:

People donate more to disaster relief when victims share their nationality
Immigrants often help others from their home country
Cultural traditions often emphasize helping "your own people"

Real-World Applications

Understanding how similarity affects helping behaviour has important real-world applications:

💰 Charity Appeals

Charities often highlight similarities between donors and recipients to increase donations. They might use phrases like "people just like you" or show victims who resemble their target audience.

🏥 Community Support

Support groups are often organized around shared experiences (e.g., bereavement groups, addiction recovery) because similarity creates understanding and motivation to help.

🎓 Education

Schools can reduce bullying by emphasizing similarities between different groups of students and creating shared identities through team activities.

Limitations and Ethical Considerations

While similarity can increase helping, it's important to recognize its limitations:

Bias and discrimination: The flip side of helping similar others is that we may neglect those who are different from us
Artificial divisions: Sometimes the similarities we focus on are arbitrary or socially constructed
Individual differences: Some people are less influenced by similarity than others
Competing factors: Other factors like the cost of helping or the severity of need can override similarity effects

Overcoming Similarity Bias

Psychologists have found several ways to encourage helping across difference:

Contact hypothesis: Positive interactions with different groups can reduce bias
Superordinate identities: Creating shared identities that transcend differences (e.g., "we're all human")
Empathy training: Learning to take the perspective of different others
Education: Learning about the arbitrary nature of many group distinctions

Evaluating Research on Similarity to Victims

When studying the research on similarity effects, consider these points:

✅ Strengths

Strong experimental evidence from laboratory and field studies
Consistent findings across different cultures and contexts
Clear practical applications for promoting helping behaviour
Good explanatory power for real-world helping patterns

❌ Limitations

Many studies use artificial scenarios that may lack ecological validity
Social desirability bias may affect participants' behaviour
Difficult to isolate similarity from other factors in real-world settings
Cultural variations in what types of similarity matter most

Summary: Key Points to Remember

People are more likely to help others who they perceive as similar to themselves
Similarity can be based on physical appearance, attitudes, experiences, or group membership
The similarity effect works through increased empathy, social identity and self-interest
Research consistently shows that even small similarities can significantly increase helping behaviour
Understanding similarity effects can help us design more effective appeals for prosocial behaviour
We should be aware of how similarity biases might lead to neglect of those who are different from us

Remember that while similarity is a powerful factor in helping behaviour, truly prosocial individuals strive to help others regardless of similarities or differences. By understanding these psychological tendencies, we can work to overcome our biases and create a more inclusive culture of helping.

🧠 Test Your Knowledge!