Intergroup Helping

The aim of this volume is to provide an overview of research from different domains with regards to intergroup helping. Logically organized, the volume explores the research on intergroup helping from a demonstration of ingroup bias and discrimination to identifying strategic motives for outgroup helping, to research on intergroup helping in applied contexts and to truly positive, prosocial intergroup acts. Tapping into a current trend towards positive psychology, it moves away from the traditional view within intergroup relations research of the group as a 'source of trouble', and instead focuses on positive intergroup relations. Prosocial behaviour is typically studied from the perspective of individuals. Research on intergroup relations, however, has largely overlooked helping between groups. Born to explain phenomena such as genocide and racism, this line of research predominantly looked at the negative side of intergroup relations. Over the last decade, a small but growing group of researchers started to investigateintergroup helping as a phenomenon in itself. These researchers acknowledge that the generally held notion of an ingroup favouring bias as the sole cause of helping is at odds with reality. With contributions from these expert researchers in the domain of intergroup helping, this volume makes the argument that intergroup helping should be studied as a phenomenon in and of itself, not as a mere expression of ingroup bias or discrimination. To advance this argument, the first section covers traditional research approaches in which the willingness to help other groups is construed as a form of discrimination. Then, the second section looks at the reasons why people may be motivated to help other groups. Finally, the last section explores intergroup helping in real world settings, looking at natural disaster responses and the role of morality, among other topics. Overall, Intergroup Helping:The Positive Side of Intergroup Behavior informs researchers in positive and group relations psychology of the current state of affairs of research on intergroup cooperation and helping, and sets out an agenda for further exploration.