| Abstract: | This study examined a hypothesized relationship between the level of emotional arousal and subsequent helping behavior in a real-life bushfire emergency. Respondents were contacted after a major bushfire occurred near the city of Melbourne. They were asked about their emotional reactions on first hearing of the bushfire destruction and about their subsequent helping behavior. Respondents who reported feelings of shock, terror, horror, or sickness donated significantly more to bushfire appeals than did respondents not reporting these emotions. Helping was also related to initial feelings of sympathy for the victims and initial feelings of wanting to help the victims. The results support a general model of emergency intervention linking emotional arousal to helping behavior. |
