The Bravery of Rescue Divers (Prosocial Behavior & Social Support Theory)

Rescue divers practice courage by saving panicked and unresponsive divers in the depths of the ocean. They manage stress in other divers, while also addressing medical emergency situations. 

Rescue divers have many responsibilities. They provide first aid service, operate ambulances and other rescue vehicles, such as boats, search for lost people, and provide medical care when someone is experiencing a heart attack or is recovering from nearly drowning. They also organize training programs for first aid certification. 

Psychologists explain the behavior of rescue divers as prosocial behavior. Prosocial behavior describes voluntary action to help society as a whole or benefit another individual. These actions are driven by a variety of motives, one being personal reward. 

One real experience of rescue diver training was described by 17-year-old Amélie, who became a rescue diver because of her love for scuba diving. She was enthralled by the idea of responding to emergencies underwater. She started taking the PADI Rescue Diver course with her family. She describes how there was a great mix of excitement and seriousness in this course. They learned how to bring a diver to the surface, how to work with panicked divers, and how to operate emergency medical equipment like oxygen and defibrillators. She also practiced lifting heavier “dead weights” out of the water and up flights of stairs. 

The program emphasized collaboration, which she thought helped her perform and learn the tasks better. Psychologists explain this phenomenon as social support theory, which posits that the reassurance of the presence of others can lessen amounts of fear and make risk-taking behavior more likely. 

Amélie serves as an embodiment of the courage rescue divers practice in their work, which is maintaining composure underwater, and trusting in oneself because of the communal support from others.