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Unlock This CourseHave you ever noticed how you're more likely to help someone who seems similar to you? Or how you might compare yourself to others before deciding whether to lend a hand? This is where Social Identity Theory comes in - it helps explain why we help some people more than others based on how we see ourselves and our groups.
Social Identity Theory suggests that our sense of who we are comes partly from the groups we belong to. When we help others, we're often influenced by whether we see them as part of our 'in-group' (people like us) or 'out-group' (people different from us). The social comparison process is a key part of this - we constantly compare ourselves to others to understand where we fit in.
Key Definitions:
We tend to help people in our in-groups more readily. For example, you might be more likely to help a classmate from your school than someone from a rival school. This happens because we see in-group members as extensions of ourselves.
Before helping, we often compare ourselves to the person needing help. Are they better or worse off than us? Do they deserve help? These comparisons influence our decision to act prosocially.
Leon Festinger first described social comparison theory in 1954. He argued that we have a natural drive to evaluate ourselves and when we can't do this objectively, we compare ourselves to others. This process heavily influences our prosocial behaviour.
There are two main types of social comparison that affect how we help others:
Comparing ourselves to people who are better off than us. This can motivate us to improve but might also make us feel inadequate. We might help these people less because we feel they don't need it.
Comparing ourselves to people who are worse off than us. This can boost our self-esteem and make us feel grateful. We're often more willing to help these people because we feel fortunate in comparison.
Comparing ourselves to people who are similar to us. This helps us understand what's normal and appropriate. We often help these people because we can relate to their situation.
The social comparison process influences prosocial behaviour in several important ways. When we see someone in need, we automatically start comparing their situation to our own and to others around us.
Research shows that people are more likely to donate to charity when they see others who are clearly worse off than themselves (downward comparison). However, they're less likely to give when they compare themselves to wealthy celebrities making large donations (upward comparison), as they feel their contribution would be insignificant.
When faced with someone needing help, we go through several comparison steps:
We first assess how similar the person is to us. Are they from our school, neighbourhood, or social group? The more similar they are, the more likely we are to help because we can imagine ourselves in their situation.
We compare their situation to what we think they deserve. If we believe they're responsible for their problems, we're less likely to help. If we see them as victims of circumstances, we're more willing to assist.
Henri Tajfel conducted famous experiments where he divided people into groups based on trivial differences (like preferring certain paintings). Even with these meaningless distinctions, people showed favouritism towards their own group members and were more willing to help them. This demonstrates how easily social identity influences prosocial behaviour.
Several studies have shown how social comparison affects our willingness to help others:
This study found that football fans were more likely to help someone wearing their team's shirt than someone wearing a rival team's shirt or plain clothes. When group identity was made salient, helping behaviour increased dramatically for in-group members.
Research showed that people were more likely to help others when they felt a sense of 'oneness' with them. This feeling often comes from social comparison - when we see similarities between ourselves and others, we're more motivated to help.
Understanding social comparison in prosocial behaviour has practical implications for encouraging helping in real-world situations.
Knowing how social comparison works can help us design better ways to encourage helping:
Anti-bullying programmes work better when they emphasise shared identity ('we're all students here') rather than differences. This makes students more likely to help victims of bullying.
Neighbourhood watch schemes are more effective when they emphasise local identity and shared values. People are more willing to help neighbours when they feel part of the same community.
Social media campaigns for charity work better when they show how donors are similar to beneficiaries, making the comparison process more likely to result in helping behaviour.
Darley and Batson (1973) found that theology students were less likely to help someone in distress when they were in a hurry, even when they were on their way to give a talk about the Good Samaritan parable. This shows that social comparison (comparing their urgent situation to the victim's need) can override prosocial intentions.
While Social Identity Theory and social comparison explain much about prosocial behaviour, there are some limitations to consider:
The theory was developed primarily in Western cultures. In collectivist cultures, the emphasis on group harmony might lead to different patterns of social comparison and helping behaviour.
Some people are naturally more helpful regardless of social comparison. Personal values, empathy levels and past experiences can override the social comparison process.
Social Identity Theory's social comparison process provides valuable insights into why we help some people more than others. By understanding how we compare ourselves to those in need, we can better predict and encourage prosocial behaviour. Whether it's helping a classmate, donating to charity, or volunteering in our community, social comparison plays a crucial role in our decisions to help others.
Remember that while these processes often happen automatically, being aware of them can help us make more conscious choices about when and how we help others, potentially leading to more inclusive and effective prosocial behaviour.