Helping Others: Contemporary Topics

This thesis examines the psychology of helping motivations and behavior. It begins with a review of some of the psychological variables that have been known to contribute to helping--who asks for help, when are individuals likely to help, etc. The analysis then reviews the literature on cultural differences in helping, as well as some more recent research on helping online and via the internet (e.g., GoFundMe) and how it relates to prior thinking on the subject. It concludes with a personal and ‘real-time’ reflection on helping in the time of COVID-19