Stated goals and their influence on helping behavior toward ingroups and outgroups

When seeking to motivate individuals to help, helping behavior may be framed in terms of power-oriented, results focused, goals or value-oriented, ideologically based, goals. In two studies, participants were presented with a call for assistance benefitting an ingroup or an outgroup. The stated goal associated with helping behavior was power-oriented or value-oriented. Participants showed more willingness to help on behalf of an outgroup when they believed the charitable organization had value-oriented goals and more willingness to help on behalf of their ingroup when they believed the charitable organization had power-oriented goals. The results suggest that organizations should consider the relationship between who will benefit and who is providing assistance to maximize the likelihood that assistance will be provided.