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Bystander Effect
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Heroes touch our hearts, fill us with admiration, and make us reconsiderour views of the world. Just look at the plethora of superhero movies that are made and it’s easy to see how much our society values and loves heroes.
But what makes real-life people take heroic actions in the face of great danger? This question is at the heart of hero psychology and requires that we first define what heroism is.
Defining Heroism
In a strict dictionary sense, heroism is defined astaking a courageous action.An example would be running into a burning building to save children inside. Yet, in the field of psychology, the definition of heroism can vary from one psychologist or researcher to the next.
According to one review of the literature, researchers from various departments of psychology indicate that a hero is someone who:
Others suggest that the definition of heroism is more subjective and “in the eye of the beholder.“They contend that how heroism is defined varies based on a person’s values, personal preferences, stage of life, and even their level of maturity.
Examples of Heroism
Perhaps the best way to understand heroism is to see it in action. When looking around, we can find many examples of heroism in everyday life.
The Psychology of Heroism
Why do people like those mentioned above become heroes? Are there anycharacteristics of heroismthat these individuals seem to share? These are the types of questions that the psychology of heroism attempts to answer. Here are a few theories related to hero psychology.
“Big H Heroism” vs. “Small h Heroism”
Psychology professor Frank Farley makes a distinction between what he calls “big H heroism” and “small h heroism.” Big H heroism involves a potentially big risk such as getting hurt, going to jail, or even death. Small h heroism, on the other hand, involves things many of us do every day: helping someone out, being kind, and standing up for justice. These things don’t typically involve personal risk on our part.
Farley suggests that there are two key factors underlying the grand acts of heroism that involve a risk of personal harm:risk-taking behaviorand generosity. People who risk their lives in the service of another are naturally more likely to take greater risks and they also possess a great deal of compassion, kindness, empathy, and altruism.
Altruism: How to Cultivate Selfless Behavior
Nature vs. Nurture
One of the biggest questions researchers face comes down to the age-old debate overnature versus nurture. Is heroism something we are born with or is heroism something that can be learned?
Researchers have long theorized that both people and animals are more likely to help those to whom they are genetically related, a concept known as kin selection.By helping those who share our genes, we help ensure the likelihood that those genes will be passed on to future generations.
Others suggest that heroism can be learned. The Heroic Imagination Project operates on this notion, seeking to “create everyday heroes” through strategies that combine psychological research, education, and social activism.
Reciprocal Altruism
Another theory as to why some people commit heroic acts for others is based on theconcept of reciprocity. More specifically, it involves reciprocal altruism. According to reciprocal altruism, we help others with the expectation that someday they might help us in return.
Other Influential Factors
What about the kinds of altruism that don’t hinge on helping relatives or expecting some type of payback? In such cases, situational, cultural, and personality variables can play pivotal roles.
After people take heroic actions, they often claim that they don’t see themselves as heroes. They were simply doing what anyone in that situation would have done.
In a study published in 2016, researchers suggested that those who have a particular mindset that leads them to behave confidently and morally in difficult situations tend to act immediately and unconsciously when an emergency occurs.
What Causes Someone to Not Be Heroic?
12 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Dictionary.com.Heroism.
Kinsella EL, Ritchie TD, Igou ER.Lay perspectives on the social and psychological functions of heroes.Front Psychol. 2015;6:130. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00130
Allison ST, Goethals GR.Defining heroism: Objectively possible or in the eye of the beholder?University of Richmond School of Arts & Sciences.
American Red Cross.2023 Acts of Courage Awards honor local heroes.
Torgan A.This CNN Hero’s battle with cancer inspired her lifesaving work helping families in her Native American community. CNN Heroes.
O’Connor MI.Equity360: Gender, race, and ethnicity: Heroes, Rep. John R. Lewis, and orthopaedics.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2021;479(2):233-235. doi:10.1097/CORR.0000000000001586
Birch J, Okasha S.Kin selection and its critics.Biosci. 2015;65(1):22-32. doi:10.1093/biosci.biu196
Heroic Imagination Project.Our mission.
Feigin S, Owens G, Goodyear-Smith F.Theories of human altruism: a systematic review.Ann Neurosci Psychol. 2014;1(1):5. doi:10.7243/2055-3447-1-5
Keczer Z, File B, Orosz G, Zimbardo PG.Social Representations of Hero and Everyday Hero: A Network Study from Representative Samples.PLoS ONE.2016;11(8):e0159354. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0159354
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