WHY WE HELP MORE WILLINGLY IN REACTION TO STORIES

• Authors: Trzebinski J.
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

People understand social reality as stories. Narrative is not only a linguistic matter; it is a powerful and early-acquired way an individual interprets social events, his/her own identity, and that of other people, as well as making decisions. The data confirm that interpretation of personal matters within a self-narrative framework related to a stronger motivation to fulfill personal goals and to life meaningfulness. The differences in sustained content of self-narratives result in style of adaptation, for example, in reactions to successes and failures. A narrative frame of understanding other persons also influences our social behavior. Presenting the story of an ill person, in comparison to a description of the illness, not only activates a narrative approach toward this person, but increases the probability of helping behavior in subjects - in this case, the promise of donations of bone marrow for leukemia patients or the willingness to spend time on soliciting money for medical treatment. A higher general ability in narrative interpretation strengthens the above effects. Results of other studies may suggest the kind of factors responsible for these effects.

Keywords

EN

HELPING BEHAVIOR; NARRATIVE; SELF-NARRATIVES

Discipline

• PSYCHOLOGY: PSYCHOLOGY

• Publisher: Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences jointly with the Committee on Psychological Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Kolokwia Psychologiczne (Psychological Colloquia)
• Year: 2006
• Volume: 15
• Pages: 163-172
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Trzebinski J.

• J. Trzebinski, Szkola Wyzsza Psychologii Spolecznej, ul. Chodakowska 19/31, 03-815 Warszawa, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

07PLAAAA02374958