7.6k views
2 votes
Alex regularly gives donations of blood in part because he hopes others do the same so that blood is available for him if he ever needs a transfusion. His helping behavior is best explained by:

a) the concept of reciprocity
b) reciprocal determinism
c) social exchange theory
d) self-perception theory

User Vljs
by
8.4k points

1 Answer

2 votes

Final answer:

Alex's behavior of routinely donating blood in hopes of reciprocal aid demonstrates reciprocal altruism, which is the expectation of mutual assistance within a community.

Step-by-step explanation:

Alex's willingness to donate blood with the hope that others will do the same demonstrates a form of prosocial behavior known as reciprocal altruism. This concept is founded on the expectation of mutual aid, where individuals assist each other with the understanding that they will receive help in return when needed. Although there are debates whether actions such as these are purely altruistic or if they carry elements of personal benefit, the key here is the reciprocal aspect, where help is given with an expectation, albeit not immediate, of help in return.

Contrary to reciprocal altruism, the theory of reciprocal determinism proposed by Bandura talks about mutual influence among behavior, cognitive processes, and situational context, but it does not directly relate to the motivation behind prosocial behavior like blood donation. In this case, Alex's behavior is best explained by the concept of reciprocal altruism rather than reciprocal determinism, as it is the expectation of future help that motivates his giving behavior.

User Causality
by
7.4k points