Final answer:
The question addresses the contrasting perspectives on why individuals help others, differentiating between internal helper dispositions and external factors. It emphasizes the concept of attribution theory in social psychology and provides examples such as concessions of salaries and help finding work for the poor.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question deals with the motivations behind helping behaviors and how individuals attribute actions either to internal dispositions or external circumstances. This is part of a broader discussion in social psychology known as attribution theory. When considering helper dispositions, we are looking at the internal reasons a person might have to help others, such as personality traits, values, or beliefs that make them inclined to provide assistance.
However, the explanation behind an individual's actions can diverge depending on the perspective. For instance, actors (people engaging in the behavior) might attribute their own actions to situational factors, while observers (people watching the behavior) may explain those same actions as stemming from the actor's dispositions or character. This reveals a complex interplay between internal and external factors when it comes to helping behaviors.
Examples of helping behaviors include the concession of salaries to public functionaries, help finding work for the poor, land grants for dispossessed villagers, and public assistance for war widows, invalids, orphans, and indigents. These actions can be motivated by a range of factors, reflecting both internal dispositions and the impact of societal context and pressures.