Factors Affecting Prosocial Behavior

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Abstract
Four experimental treatments were established to compare the effects on helping behavior of brief interpersonal contact and responding to a minor request. Ss were 75 male and 26 female business persons and customers using elevators in a large downtown office building. The Ss overheard one confederate (C 1) give a second confederate (C 2) incorrect information. Ss who had first responded to a minor request of the C 2 were more likely to help this C 2 a second time by correcting the false information than were Ss of whom the minor request was not made (p < .001). However, Ss who had very brief verbal contact with the C 2 were also more likely to correct the false information (p < .01). The results further indicated that after verbal contact, Ss were not more likely to help a C other than the one with whom the initial contact was made (p > .50). The results of the study were discussed in terms of several theoretical conceptions dealing with prosocial behavior.

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