Meeting recipients' needs in dyadic cross-group helping: When the nature of the helper's motivation matters
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In: Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, Vol. 15, No. 6, 11.2012, p. 762-775.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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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 -