| Abstract: | Two studies were directed at the assessment of donor motives for and appropriateness and evaluation of an unsolicited helping act directed at a high versus a low power person by self or other Results of the first study demonstrated no differences between self and other, but highly significant differences between high and low power on all three dependent measures, with an act directed at a high power person being seen as more self-seeking and being more negatively evaluated. A manipulation of liking for other in the second study resulted in significant differences between self and a disliked other on all three measures, with more negative attributions and evaluations of die disliked other As predicted, there were no differences between self and a liked other Power differences remained significant over all conditions of self and other Results were considered not to be attributable to trans-situational need states of the low power person, however, the act was consistently viewed as more appropriate when directed at a low power person. |
