University of Toronto: PSYC1010 Altruistic Behaviour Report

This report analyzes altruistic behavior, specifically focusing on increasing blood donation rates in Canada, where only 7% of the eligible population donates blood. The paper explores various psychological principles to increase participation, including the reciprocity norm (encouraging those who have received blood to donate), social responsibility norm (emphasizing the societal benefits of donation), kinship (appealing to family ties), and observational learning (using celebrity endorsements). The report highlights the low blood donation rates in Canada and proposes strategies to increase them, such as creative advertisements, raising awareness, and leveraging social influence. It also differentiates between altruistic acts and external reinforcements like money, emphasizing the importance of fostering genuine selfless behavior in the Canadian population to improve blood donation rates.

Running head: ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIOUR
ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIOUR
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIOUR
Altruistic behaviours are such behaviours where people act selflessly in order to help
others without expecting anything in return. Such behaviours include being helpful, kind
generous and the willingness to help others in any situation. Altruism is the need of the hour
where people do not want to help others without seeing their own advantage. The present paper
analyses the plans to include more participation of people in blood donation in Canada by
looking into the aspects such as reciprocity norm, social responsibility norm, kinship and
observational learning.
Canada is one of the developed countries in the world where people refrain from donating
blood due to the stigma associated with it. Only 7% of the eligible population is actively
interested in donating blood in the country. Therefore, to increase more participation of the
people certain plans have been laid on the following paper. Reciprocity norm is the norm where
people help others because others had helped them previously. Therefore, if the person who had
previously received blood from someone can be encouraged that he owes someone and made to
empathise then they would readily agree to help the person in need (Abolghasemi, Hosseini-
Divkalayi & Seighali, 2010). They would encourage others to donate blood.
Another way to increase participation is to increase awareness and removing stigma
through advertisements. Creative advertisements can be created where the people show the
benefits of blood donation and its positive impact on the society. This would bring in the aspect
of social responsibility norm. The advertisements could show that it is responsibility of the
people to donate blood and help others for the benefit of the society. If the people were made to
feel their responsibility towards the society then this would increase their participation (Godin et
al., 2012).

2ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIOUR
The feeling of kinship is strong in people and it can make them go to great lengths to help
others. If a family member who has suffered from the same problems were made to realize the
problems of others who has been suffering from the same disease and is in need of blood, then
they would readily agree to donate blood (Godin et al., 2012). People would be able to
understand the pain and the problems of others in a more effective way.
Observational learning is the type of learning where people learn through observing
others. They see them as models and imitate their behaviour in order to become better people.
One way to increase participation is to give examples of the celebrities who donate blood. People
follow the celebrities and want to imitate their behaviour to become like them. Therefore, people
can be lured to donate blood by telling them that they would be able to meet their favourite stars
if they donate blood.
Thus, participation of people in blood donation can be increased by implementing the
above-mentioned plans. Rewards and other external reinforcements like money can lure people
into donating blood however; it would contradict the real meaning of altruism. Therefore,
inculcating the sense of selfless acts in people, though a difficult job would be more effective in
modifying the behaviour of Canadian people towards blood donation.

3ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIOUR
References
Abolghasemi, H., Hosseini-Divkalayi, N. S., & Seighali, F. (2010). Blood donor incentives: A
step forward or backward. Asian Journal of Transfusion Science, 4(1), 9–13.
Godin G, Vezina-Im LA, Belanger-Gravel A, Amireault S. (2012). Efficacy of interventions
promoting blood donation: a systematic review. Transfusion Medicine Review, 26,
224-376.