Meeting recipients' needs in dyadic cross-group helping: When the nature of the helper's motivation matters

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Standard

Meeting recipients' needs in dyadic cross-group helping: When the nature of the helper's motivation matters. / Siem, Birte; Stürmer, Stefan.
In: Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, Vol. 15, No. 6, 11.2012, p. 762-775.

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Harvard

APA

Vancouver

Bibtex

@article{ba2b61f4da5b4ff18e39eab274eb8a29,
title = "Meeting recipients' needs in dyadic cross-group helping: When the nature of the helper's motivation matters",
abstract = "This report introduces a series of hypotheses on how intergroup (dis)similarities between the helper's and the recipient's group may affect the recipient's perceptions of the helper's need-responsiveness. Hypotheses were tested in a real world context of helping (intercultural volunteerism) by using data from two discrete samples of interacting participants. As hypothesized, among culturally similar helper-recipient dyads (but not among dissimilar dyads) feelings of other-focused empathy increased the helper's perceived responsiveness to the recipient's needs, whereas among culturally dissimilar dyads (but not among similar dyads) ego-focused concerns decreased the helper's need-responsiveness. In addition, among culturally dissimilar dyads helper's need-responsiveness was more strongly contingent upon whether he or she found the recipient attractive or not than among culturally similar dyads. These findings suggest that members of out-groups who may require need-sensitive help most (members of dissimilar out-groups perceived as unattractive) may have a significantly reduced chance to receive it.",
keywords = "empathy, helping motivations, intercultural dissimilarities, intergroup helping, quality of help, Social Work and Social Pedagogics",
author = "Birte Siem and Stefan St{\"u}rmer",
year = "2012",
month = nov,
doi = "10.1177/1368430212444323",
language = "English",
volume = "15",
pages = "762--775",
journal = "Group Processes and Intergroup Relations",
issn = "1368-4302",
publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",
number = "6",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Meeting recipients' needs in dyadic cross-group helping

T2 - When the nature of the helper's motivation matters

AU - Siem, Birte

AU - Stürmer, Stefan

PY - 2012/11

Y1 - 2012/11

N2 - This report introduces a series of hypotheses on how intergroup (dis)similarities between the helper's and the recipient's group may affect the recipient's perceptions of the helper's need-responsiveness. Hypotheses were tested in a real world context of helping (intercultural volunteerism) by using data from two discrete samples of interacting participants. As hypothesized, among culturally similar helper-recipient dyads (but not among dissimilar dyads) feelings of other-focused empathy increased the helper's perceived responsiveness to the recipient's needs, whereas among culturally dissimilar dyads (but not among similar dyads) ego-focused concerns decreased the helper's need-responsiveness. In addition, among culturally dissimilar dyads helper's need-responsiveness was more strongly contingent upon whether he or she found the recipient attractive or not than among culturally similar dyads. These findings suggest that members of out-groups who may require need-sensitive help most (members of dissimilar out-groups perceived as unattractive) may have a significantly reduced chance to receive it.

AB - This report introduces a series of hypotheses on how intergroup (dis)similarities between the helper's and the recipient's group may affect the recipient's perceptions of the helper's need-responsiveness. Hypotheses were tested in a real world context of helping (intercultural volunteerism) by using data from two discrete samples of interacting participants. As hypothesized, among culturally similar helper-recipient dyads (but not among dissimilar dyads) feelings of other-focused empathy increased the helper's perceived responsiveness to the recipient's needs, whereas among culturally dissimilar dyads (but not among similar dyads) ego-focused concerns decreased the helper's need-responsiveness. In addition, among culturally dissimilar dyads helper's need-responsiveness was more strongly contingent upon whether he or she found the recipient attractive or not than among culturally similar dyads. These findings suggest that members of out-groups who may require need-sensitive help most (members of dissimilar out-groups perceived as unattractive) may have a significantly reduced chance to receive it.

KW - empathy

KW - helping motivations

KW - intercultural dissimilarities

KW - intergroup helping

KW - quality of help

KW - Social Work and Social Pedagogics

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84868155184&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/1368430212444323

DO - 10.1177/1368430212444323

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84868155184

VL - 15

SP - 762

EP - 775

JO - Group Processes and Intergroup Relations

JF - Group Processes and Intergroup Relations

SN - 1368-4302

IS - 6

ER -

DOI