Helping: The Importance of Cost/Reward Considerations on Likelihood to Help

Abstract

The circumstances under which an individual would “help” another have been explored intensively over the past two decades. A variety of models have been proposed. Many of these have been interpreted within a cost/reward context. The present study used a questionnaire regarding a variety of costs and rewards to examine the relative importance of various considerations in deciding whether to help. Analysis indicates that the 37 respondents attributed little importance to all except three statements: (1) “It is the right thing to do,” (2) “It would make me feel good about myself,” (3) “I might get hurt.”