Question

Jennifer broke her dominant hand and is unable to take notes in class. on the first day of her absence, the professor asked the class if anyone would volunteer to take notes for her, and after some consideration maggie who had broken her hand once volunteered her notes. according to the textbook, what could best explain maggie's offer to help?

a) empathy-altruism hypothesis
b) norm of reciprocity
c) positive state relief model
d) norm of social responsibility

Answer 1

Maggie's offer to help by sharing notes with Jennifer, who broke her dominant hand, is best explained by the empathy-altruism hypothesis, which is based on Maggie's empathetic understanding of Jennifer's situation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The behavior of Maggie offering to help Jennifer by sharing her notes can best be explained by the empathy-altruism hypothesis. This hypothesis suggests that Maggie's willingness to help is motivated by the empathic concern she feels for Jennifer, having experienced a similar situation herself. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person, which can lead to altruistic behavior – acts done with the intention of helping someone else without expecting anything in return.