Welcome to the Nexus of Ethics, Psychology, Morality, Philosophy and Health Care

Welcome to the nexus of ethics, psychology, morality, technology, health care, and philosophy
Showing posts with label Prosocial Environment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prosocial Environment. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

From Good Institutions to Good Norms: Top-Down Incentives to Cooperate Foster Prosociality But Not Norm Enforcement

Michael N Stagnaro, Antonio A. Arechar, & David G. Rand
Social Science Research Network

Abstract:  

What makes people willing to pay costs to help others, and to punish others’ selfishness? And why does the extent of such behaviors vary markedly across cultures? To shed light on these questions, we explore the role of formal institutions in shaping individuals’ prosociality and punishment. In Study 1 (N=707), we found that the quality of the institutions that participants were exposed to in daily life was positively associated with giving in a Dictator Game, but had little relationship with punishment in a Third-Party Punishment Game. In Study 2 (N=516), we investigated causality by experimentally manipulating institutional quality using a centralized punishment institution applied to a repeated Public Goods Game. Consistent with Study 1’s correlational results, we found that high institutional quality led to significantly more prosociality in a subsequent Dictator Game, but did not have a significant overall effect on subsequent punishment. Thus we present convergent evidence that the quality of institutions one is exposed to “spills over” to affect subsequent prosociality, but not punishment. These findings support a theory of social heuristics, suggest boundary conditions on spillover effects of cooperation, and demonstrate the power of effective institutions for instilling habits of virtue and creating cultures of cooperation.

The article is here.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Survey: 1 in 4 Teens Bullied at School

By Salynn Bolyes
WebMD Health News

One in four high school students in a recent survey said they were victims of school bullying, and nearly 16% said they were victims of cyberbullying.

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Among the major findings from the survey:
  • 33% of gay, lesbian, and other non-heterosexually identified teens reported being victims of cyberbullying, compared to just under 15% of teens who identified themselves as heterosexual.
  • 47% of teens who reported being victims of both forms of bullying also reported having symptoms of depression, compared to 34% of those who reported being victims of cyberbullying only and 27% of those reporting being bullied only at school.
  • Victims of both forms of bullying were also most likely to report having attempted suicide, with 15% saying that they had tried to kill themselves, compared to 9%, 4%, and 2%, respectively, of teens who reported being cyberbully victims, school bully victims, or those who were not victims of bullying.
Cyberbullying victims also reported poorer school performance than students who were not victims, and less attachment to the school they attended.

The story can be found here.

The entire research article can be found here.

Here is a portion of the conclusion:

Another important reason for schools to address cyberbullying is the link between victimization and school attachment and self-reported school performance. This is true even for the 6% of students who were victimized only through cyberbullying. Although this cross-sectional survey cannot make attributions of causality, cyberbullying may be a contributing factor to negative school  experiences, suggesting the need for schools to incorporate cyberbullying into their antibullying programs and policies. Efforts to increase student engagement in school, connectedness to peers and teachers, and academic success may also promote a climate in which school and cyberbullying are less likely to occur.