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The Helping Behavior Helps Lighten Physical Burden Basic and Applied Social Psychology ISSN: 0197-3533 (Print) 1532-4834 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/hbas20 The Helping Behavior Helps Lighten Physical Burden Xilin Li & Xiaofei Xie To cite this article: Xilin Li & Xiaofei Xie (2017) The Helping Behavior Helps Lighten Physical Burden, Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 39:4, 183-192, DOI: 10.1080/01973533.2017.1320762 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2017.1320762 Published online: 02 Jun 2017. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 202 View related articles View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=hbas20 Download by: [Peking University] Date: 14 November 2017, At: 21:46 BASIC AND APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017, VOL. 39, NO. 4, 183–192 https://doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2017.1320762 none defined The Helping Behavior Helps Lighten Physical Burden Xilin Li and Xiaofei Xie Peking University ABSTRACT It is often believed that helping behaviors benefit the recipients at the expense of the performers. However, we propose that costly helping behaviors could alleviate feelings of physical burden experienced by the performers. In support of the proposal, we found in five studies that both imaginary and real helping behaviors led the performers to perceive physically c hallenging tasks as less demanding (Studies 1, 2, 3, 5), such as perceiving a steep mountain road as less steep (Study 2), a heavy carton as lighter (Study 4), and a long path as shorter (Study 5). These results challenge the conventional wisdom that helping behaviors always come at the cost of the helper and corroborate a growing body of literature showing that helping others could benefit the performer. Introduction The benefits of helping behaviors The feeling of physical burden refers to an indivi- At first glance, the performers of helping behaviors dual’s perception of the need for greater muscular seem to promote the welfare of others only at the strength to control the body’s movements (Turvey, expense of their own well-being (Schwartz & Bilsky, Shockley, & Carello, 1999), as though that individual 1990). However, the psychological literature on altruism were being objectively burdened or tied down by a suggests that helping behaviors could stem from selfish- heavy object (Proffitt, 2006; Proffitt, Stefanucci, ness and that altruistic individuals could benefit from Banton, & Epstein, 2003). Many factors can affect the apparently costly acts they perform (Batson, 2010; the feeling of physical burden. On one hand, Reykowski & Smolenska, 1980). physiological changes, such as wearing a backpack First, helping behaviors can help the performers or suffering from chronic pain, can influence the recover from negative emotional states. According to feeling of physical burden (Proffitt et al., 2003; Witt the negative state relief model of altruism, when indivi- et al., 2009). On the other hand, psychological duals are stuck in certain negative mood states, such as changes can also affect the feeling of physical burden, sadness and depression, they often engage in altruistic as demonstrated by past research. For example, behaviors to regulate their mood (Baumann, Cialdini, Downloaded by [Peking University] at 21:46 14 November 2017 people felt weighed down when they experienced & Kendrick, 1981). The induction of negative moods guilt after inflicting harm on others (Day & Bobocel, in participants could lead to an increased likelihood of 2013). Similarly, people behaved as though they were helping behaviors (Cialdini, Darby, & Vincent, 1973), carrying a physical burden when they had to conceal and people tend to perform altruistic behaviors to unsavory secrets from others (Slepian, Masicampo, preempt future adverse states (Batson, 2010). Altruistic Toosi, & Ambady, 2012). behaviors have also been shown to help maintain and A commonality exists between these two preceding promote positive feelings and moods (Carlson, Charlin, studies: Engaging in antisocial acts seems to increase & Miller, 1988). Baumann contended that altruism is feelings of physical burden. This observation naturally actually a form of hedonism and is functionally similar begs the question, Could engaging in prosocial acts have to self-gratification (Baumann, Cialdini, & Kendrick, the opposite effect, that is, reduce feelings of physical 1981). For instance, it has been shown that spending burden? In the present study, we seek to explore the money on others brought about greater happiness com- possible influence of helping behaviors on the feeling pared to spending money on oneself (Dunn, Aknin, & of physical burden. Norton, 2008). CONTACT Xiaofei Xie [email protected] School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China. © 2017 Taylor & Francis 184 X. LI AND X. XIE Second, helping behaviors can boost performers’ self- probably help reduce the stress of the performers in efficacy and make them feel more competitive (Crocker, general. Because psychological feelings can bring about Canevello, & Brown, 2017). People were more helpful corresponding physiological experiences, as shown by and prosocial after individuals’ failure to restore their the growing body of research on embodiment (Meier, self-esteem (Brown & Smart, 1991). University students’ Schnall, Schwarz, & Bargh, 2012), it is possible that Internet altruistic behaviors can positively predict their the reduction of psychological pressure can lead to a self-efficacy (Zheng, Wang, & Xu, 2016). decreased feeling of physical burden. Third, altruistic behaviors reduce mental stress. People often perform altruistic behaviors to fulfill responsibilities arising from social norms and avoid The present research the risk of social pressure and social evaluation In sum, we hypothesized that helping behaviors could (Gebauer, Riketta, Broemer, & Maio, 2008). When benefit the performers by reducing feelings of physical participants experienced acute social stress, they would burden and bringing about a more relaxed, healthy engage in substantially more prosocial behaviors physiological state through the mood regulation, self- compared to participants in control conditions (von efficacy, and de-stress functions of helping acts. To Dawans, Fischbacher, Kirschbaum, Fehr, & Heinrichs, clarify, our research is not focused on individual differ- 2012). It can thus be observed that social pressure would ences in altruism but on specific altruistic behaviors. We be reduced after performing a ltruistic behavior. sought to test this hypothesis in five studies. Study 1 was a correlational study, which was designed to prelimina- The helping behavior helps lighten feelings of rily examine the relationship between willingness to physical burden help and the feeling of physical burden. Study 2 attempted to identify the causal relationship between A wealth of research has showed that evolving in helping behaviors and feelings of physical burden helping or prosocial behaviors can be beneficial to a through a priming procedure. Study 3 demonstrated performer’s general physical health. For example, that framing a writing task as helping behavior could volunteers self-report better health over time (Hong & make the performer experience less burden as opposed Morrow-Howell, 2010). Altruism can also predict to framing it as neutral behavior. Studies 4 and 5, both objective measures of health status, such as lower field studies, sought to test our hypothesis more systolic and diastolic blood pressure (Piferi & Lawler, strin gently by staging two mundane scenarios in which 2006). In the present stu dy, we focused on an participants actually helped other people. unexplored specific aspect of physical health—physical burden—and aimed to discover the benefit that altruistic behaviors bring to feelings of physical burden. Study 1 From the emotion perspective, it is reasonable to postulate that helping behavior could lighten feelings Study 1 aimed to provide preliminary evidence for the of heaviness through relieving a negative mood and pro- relationship between willingness to help and feelings of physical burden in hypothetical crisis situations. Downloaded by [Peking University] at 21:46 14 November 2017 moting a positive mood. Emotional states could play a role in the feeling of physical burden. For instance, after Study 1 is a correlational study, and we did not manipu- people wrote about a negative event or listened to sad late willingness to help. Participants completed two music, they would perceive a hill to be steeper (Riener, questionnaires, one assessing an individual’s willingness Stefanucci, Proffitt, & Clore, 2011). to help in crisis situations and the other measuring From the cognition perspective, helping behavior feelings of physical burden. We hypothesized that part- enhances a sense of self-efficacy (Midlarsky & Kahana, icipants’ willingness to help was negatively correlated 1994). When faced with the same tasks and challenges, with their perceived physical burden. In other words, those with a greater sense of self-efficacy felt less press- we predicted that the more people were willing to help ure (Bandura, 1977). To conclude, altruistic behaviors others in hypothetical crisis situations, the less physical can relieve psychological pressure by reducing negative burden they would feel. effects, such as social pressure, and can bring about positive effects, such as self-efficacy.
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