Behavioral adjustment of psychiatric hospital patients and helping behavior

This study investigated the relationship between behavioral adjustment of mental hospital patients and helping behavior in two distinctly different controlled situations. Forty hospitalized male patients between the ages of 20 and 45 were assigned to two groups of equal size according to ratings they received on the MACC Behavioral Adjustment Scale. Each subject was exposed to two separate and independent experimental situations calling for helping behavior. Helping in the first situation was defined as offering a confederate the use of an extra pencil, while in the second it was defined as offering to help a confederate in the hallway to pick up a box of pencils that had just been dropped. The results of both experiments confirmed the hypothesis that persons suffering more severe levels of disturbance and maladjustment perform significantly fewer helpful acts. Results were discussed in terms of empathy, self-concern, and response cost. Also some implications for treatment were discussed.