Psychological reward and altruistic motivation on helping behavior to animals

ドウブツ ニ タイスル エンジョ コウドウ ニオケル シンリテキ ホウシュウ オヨビ アイタセイ ドウキ

キシモト, ワタル

Kishimoto, Wataru

オオサカ ダイガク ダイガクイン ニンゲン カガク ケンキュウカ タイジン シャカイ シンリガク ケンキュウシツ

社会的交換

共感性

愛他性

動物

ペット

helping behavior

social exchange

empathy

altruism

animal

pet

The purpose of this study was to investigate which the psychological reward and altruistic motivation have an influence on helping behavior to animals. 204 undergraduates(82 males and 122 females) as subjects responded to a questionnaire inquiring into choice which dogs in need he or she helped. Dog’s age, situation in need, physical cost, subjects’ experience of having a pet and subjects’ empathy was manipulated as a factor to have an influence on helping behavior to animals, and the factor’s effect on the choice was analyzed. The main findings were as follow: 1)In a situation that the choice endangered not only dog’s life but also subject’s one, compared with the opposite situation, physical cost didn’t affect choice significantly, and the subjects felt the conflict that he or she wanted to help both dogs; and 2)the subjects who had a pet at the present or had a strong empathy were more likely to feel the conflict. The results were that subjects’ experience of having a pet and empathy play an important role in an altruism when the subjects helped animal in need.