Design and describe an experiment that tests one of the hypotheses that you developed in Writing Assignment 3(see attachment). Do not simply copy experiments from the research described in the readings. Be creative and design your own experiment.
Here are the two responses in which I need to reply:
Response #1
by Stephanie
Experiment Title: The Effects of Empathy, Gratitude,Volunteering, Modeling Prosocial Behavior, Mindfulness and Fostering Social Relationships on Increasing Prosocial Behavior
The purpose of this experiment is to investigate the effectiveness of various techniques for increasing prosocial behavior, specifically empathy, gratitude, volunteering, modeling prosocial behavior, and fostering social relationships. Prosocial behavior refers to actions that benefit others or society as a whole. The goal of this experiment is to determine if these techniques are effective at promoting and increasing prosocial behavior.
Our method to test the efficacy of this we will compile data tracking of our test group. Participants will be recruited from a diverse population and randomly assigned to one of two groups: implementing these changes by practicing these techniques and our control group which would not make any changes. The sample size for each group will be at least 50 participants, with a roughly equal distribution of gender and age. The techniques that would need to be implemented are as follows:
The subjects would be required to implement these strategies into their everyday life for a specified amount of time(4 weeks). Our control group would be asked to engage in their everyday behavior without making any changes. They would be required to journal their day each day and fill out an online survey answering questions about the implementation of these strategies. At the end of the four-week intervention period, all participants will complete a survey that measures their prosocial behavior. The survey will consist of items that assess a range of prosocial behaviors, such as donating money to charity, volunteering time, and helping others in need. Participants will also be asked to rate their own empathy, gratitude, volunteering, modeling prosocial behavior, mindfulness and social relationship skills prior to the start of the 4 weeks and after.
The data will be analyzed using to compare the mean prosocial behavior scores of each group. At the end of the 4 week period tests will be conducted to determine how the groups significantly differ from one another. Additionally an analysis of which strategy was implemented the most will be made.
By incorporating these practices into your life, you may be able to increase your prosocial behavior and contribute to a more caring and compassionate world. This experiment aims to investigate the effectiveness of various techniques for increasing prosocial behavior. By analysisinp the effect of incorporating these practices into everyday life, we hope to gain insight into which techniques are most effective at promoting prosocial behavior. With this we may be able to increase our prosocial behavior and contribute to a more caring and compassionate world. The results of this experiment could have important implications for the development of interventions aimed at increasing prosocial behavior in individuals and communities.
Response #2
by Deaneane
There are still kind people out there. I thought I would share. This morning a stranger come to my door to tell me that he found my wallet at the dollar store. Due to the fact that I have not been to the dollar store in sometime, I told the gentleman this and he said well this address is on the ID that was in the wallet. I looked at the ID and it was my address, yet it was the previous owner in which is deceased. He said he found the wallet with $ in it and the ID, he gave the ID to the manager of the store. I do know that one of the two children that sold the house to me and my husband took a 2 mortgage on the house without the other sibling knowing, so it makes me wonder if this same individual is the one who is using their mother’s information fraudulently. At least one person in my story made me smile. Happy to say, good honest people do exist.
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Written Assignment # 3
Hypothesis 1: Prosocial Behavior is Positively Correlated with the Level of Empathy a
Person Experiences Towards Others.
Empathy is a situation where people can understand and experience others’ feelings.
Moreover, empathy enables people to fully support those in need, irrespective of circumstances.
People also engage in prosocial behavior based on their level of empathy (Poepsel & Schroeder,
2023). For example, individuals with a high level of empathy would be more likely to participate
in prosocial behaviors such as helping to donate to charitable works. Furthermore, social
psychological research has suggested that empathy impacts prosocial behaviors considerably.
Empathy-altruism suggests that people with a high level of empathy participate in selfless
actions of kindness towards others even when they get nothing in return compared to those with
a little level of empathy. In addition, Social psychological research conducted by Eisenberg and
his colleagues support this hypothesis. Children’s empathy levels were measured using a selfreport questionnaire, and their behaviors were observed in a situation demanding help. The
results showed that children with high levels of empathy engaged in prosocial behaviors of
helping strangers in need even when the situation was risky.
Furthermore, another research was carried out by Batson and his colleagues, who support
this hypothesis through empathy-altruism. Participants were asked to observe painful shocks
being administered to a person during the experiment. The participants were then asked to assist
the person by taking some of the shocks. According to the experimental results, the percipients
with a high level of empathy volunteered to receive the shocks regardless of the painful situation.
as suggested by this psychological research, individuals with higher empathy levels would be
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willing to participate in prosocial behaviors. To this hypothesis researchers can use a
standardized questionnaire to assess the participants’ level of empathy. Moreover, participants
can be taken to a situation where they could be able to practice their prosocial behavior, such as
helping the people in need of support. The participants’ level of prosocial behaviors can be
measured and compared to their initial empathy scores.
Social psychological findings have revealed that prosocial behaviors substantially
influence individuals’ level of empathy. Moreover, the mechanisms behind these relationships
can be understood by engaging in experiments that determine the correction between empathy
and prosocial behavior. In addition, interventions to enhance prosocial behavior in individuals
with lower levels of empathy can be implemented.
Hypothesis 2: Exposure to Violent Video Games Increases Aggression in Young Adults, but
the Presence of a Supportive Friend During Gameplay May Mitigate this Effect.
This hypothesis is supported by social psychological research based on media violence
and the effects of social facilitation. The social learning theory suggests that people learn new
behaviors through observing and imitating others. Therefore, through watching violent video
games, people can develop aggressive behaviors (Bushman, 20230). In addition, research
conducted by Anderson and Bushman shown that individuals who are exposed to violent video
games have a high chance of developing aggressive behaviors and are desensitization to
violence. Moreover, the effects of media on aggressiveness are more vulnerable to young adults
due to their developmental stage and lack of experience. Furthermore, the effects of social
facilitation indicate that the presence of others can affect individuals’ behaviors positively or
negatively. For instance, having supportive friends while playing video games may reduce the
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likelihood of aggressive behaviors. This is because social support from friends creates a positive
and cooperative environment. Moreover, the results of the social psychological findings have
indicated that human psychological well-being is enhanced by the level of social support
available which can also be applied in the context of violent video games. Social support
decreases the negative influences of stress which may increase the level of aggressiveness.
The researchers can also apply a randomized controlled trial involving young adult
participants to test this hypothesis. The researchers can use three groups in the experiment such
as control group, a solo gaming group, and social gaming group, and randomly assign the
participants to one of them. Participants in the social gaming group would have supportive
friends playing the same game. Furthermore, the participants in the solo group would play the
game alone. In both groups, the researchers would measure the participants’ aggression levels
before and after gameplay using scandalized questionnaires such as aggression questionnaires.
In addition, the questionnaire would be completed by the participants in the social
gaming group assessing the social support level provided by their friends during the gameplay.
The same questionnaires would also be completed by the control group who have not played any
video games. The results expectations suggest that the solo gaming group would report increased
aggression compared to the control group after the gameplay. Moreover, the participants in the
social gaming group would have lower aggression levels compared to the solo gaming group due
to the presence of supportive friends. This hypothesis is based on the social psychological
research on media violence and social facilitation. The experiment of this hypothesis seeks to
investigate the effects of violent video games on young adults’ aggression and how social
support from friends can reduce aggression.
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References
Bushman, B. J. (2023). The Noba Project: Brad J. Bushman’s” Aggression and Violence.
Poepsel, D. L., & Schroeder, D. A. (2023). Helping behavior Social Psychology PDF.