Procedures used in empathy-helping studies suggest results may be due to demand characteristics. Two studies were run to investigate especially the mood induction process. One reproduced the Aderman-Berkowitz main mood effects. Another showed that after seeing a help-non-help incident, mood effects were demonstrated only when Ss knew the research…

Examines the effect on a recipient of another's effort to provide help. Two variables, locus of responsibility for initiating a help attempt and type of outcome resulting from the help attempt, were manipulated in a three x two factorial design. Results indicated that the Requested help condition yielded the strongest obligation to help others.…

College-age subjects (N=26) were given a spelling test during which approximately half could ask for help from a child, the rest from a same-aged adult. Though both helpers were presented as equally competent spellers, subjects asked for help less frequently from the child than from the adult. (Author)

Social exchange theory was employed to predict instigative helping behavior as a function of two types of resources available to the recipient for reciprocation (social and non-social). The possibility of influencing reciprocation of both types of resources produced significant increases in subjects' helping. (Author)