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Discuss research into cultural differences in pro-social behaviour Altruism is a form of pro-social behaviour in which a person will voluntarily help another person at some cost to himself or herself. Bystander intervention is also a form of pro-social behaviour, but at minimal cost to the helper. Hence the major problem for psychologists has been determining what is truly altruistic and what might better be explained in terms of egoism (self interest). Batson's empathy-altruism hypothesis (Batson 1991) explains altruistic behaviour as a consequence of empathetic concern for another person who needs help. According to this model we experience empathy if we feel an emotional response that is consistent with another person's emotional state (e.g. feeling sad when they are sad). Batson believed that as a result of experiencing empathetic concern for another person, we are therefore motivated to help them when they are in distress. Empathy consists of a number of different...

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