Reactions of would-be helpers whose offer of help is spurned.

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to test the proposition that rejection of help by a needy recipient constitutes a negative expectancy violation for the would-be helper. The helper will react to this self-threat by expressing negative affect, unfavorable evaluations of the recipient, low attraction to the recipient, and causal attributions for the rejection that cast the recipient in an unflattering light. To test these hypotheses, college freshmen were prompted to offer rules for word construction to a same-sex recipient (a confederate) who was described as needing remediation on vocabulary and who "failed" a practice task. After rejecting/accepting the help, the recipient failed or succeeded on a comparable task. The results were consistent with these predictions. Dispositionally high expectations of interpersonal success served to amplify helpers' reactions to rejection/acceptance.

Demonstrating knowledge: The effects of group status on outgroup helping

“…However, an offer of help from a member of a low status group to a higher status outgroup may be viewed as a violation of social norms and expectations of how members of low status groups should behave (Magee & Galinsky, 2008;Rudman, 1998). Moreover, if an offer is rejected, the low status group member's attempt to boost his or her social identity could be thwarted (Rosen et al, 1987). Prescriptive norms associated with low group status can form a 'glass ceiling,' inhibiting members of low status groups to improve their position by offering help to a higher status outgroup.…”

“…For example, Rosen, Mickler, and Collins (1987) found that participants whose offer of help to a needy (thus lower status) participant was rejected viewed this rejection as a violation of their expectations and reported more negative affect and more unfavourable evaluations of the recipient than those whose offer was accepted. The situation might change, however, when the low status group is responding to a direct request for help from the higher status group.…”

Relational Job Design and the Motivation to Make a Prosocial Difference

“…With respect to social worth, helping others appears to increase an employee's social status and worth (Flynn, 2003;Penner, Dovidio, Piliavin, & Schroeder, 2005). When employees engage in behavior directed at making a prosocial difference, they are often able to make important contributions to beneficiaries' lives, which enables them to feel valuable to, and valued by, these beneficiaries (Harkins & Petty, 1982;Rosen, Mickler, & Collins, 1987). Thus, when employees display high levels of effort, persistence, and helping behavior in the interest of making a prosocial difference, they are likely to construct identities as competent, selfdetermined, socially valued individuals.…”

Doing good buffers against feeling bad: Prosocial impact compensates for negative task and self-evaluations

“…This is important given that helping behaviors are not always appreciated by the intended beneficiaries (Penner et al, 2005). Considerable research reveals that the act of giving help can lead recipients to feel incompetent, dependent, vulnerable, threatened, embarrassed, and helpless (Fisher, Nadler, & Whitcher-Alagna, 1982;Lee, 1997Lee, , 2002, reactions that lead to negative rather than positive states for the helper (Pines, 1982;Rosen, Mickler, & Collins, 1987;Wills, 1978). Moreover, it is common for employees to attempt to help others but fail in providing the level or type of help that is needed (e.g., Marshall, Barnett, & Sayer, 1997).…”