Attribution of Egoistic Versus Altruistic Motives to Acts of Helping: The Role of the Helper's Status and the Act's Intended Publicity
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Attribution of Egoistic Versus Altruistic Motives to Acts of Helping : The Role of the Helper's Status and the Act's Intended Publicity. / Siem, Birte; Stürmer, Stefan.
In: Social Psychology, Vol. 50, No. 1, 01.2019, p. 53-66.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Attribution of Egoistic Versus Altruistic Motives to Acts of Helping
T2 - The Role of the Helper's Status and the Act's Intended Publicity
AU - Siem, Birte
AU - Stürmer, Stefan
PY - 2019/1
Y1 - 2019/1
N2 - This research investigated the effects of helpers' status and the intended publicity of the helping act on observers' attributions of altruistic versus egoistic motives to helpers. Results from two studies (overall N = 670), in which we varied helpers' status (low vs. high) and intended publicity of the helping act (private vs. public) suggest that observers attribute more egoistic (and less altruistic) motives to the helping act when helpers intended to make their helping public (vs. keeping it private) and were of high (vs. low) status. Moreover, status and publicity had a negative indirect effect on observers' willingness to assist helpers via increased attribution of predominantly egoistic motives. Implications of these findings for theory and real-world helping will be discussed.
AB - This research investigated the effects of helpers' status and the intended publicity of the helping act on observers' attributions of altruistic versus egoistic motives to helpers. Results from two studies (overall N = 670), in which we varied helpers' status (low vs. high) and intended publicity of the helping act (private vs. public) suggest that observers attribute more egoistic (and less altruistic) motives to the helping act when helpers intended to make their helping public (vs. keeping it private) and were of high (vs. low) status. Moreover, status and publicity had a negative indirect effect on observers' willingness to assist helpers via increased attribution of predominantly egoistic motives. Implications of these findings for theory and real-world helping will be discussed.
KW - altruistic motives
KW - egoistic motives
KW - helping
KW - publicity
KW - Status
KW - volunteering
KW - Social Work and Social Pedagogics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85058332372&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1027/1864-9335/a000360
DO - 10.1027/1864-9335/a000360
M3 - Journal articles
AN - SCOPUS:85058332372
VL - 50
SP - 53
EP - 66
JO - Social Psychology
JF - Social Psychology
SN - 1864-9335
IS - 1
ER -