ABSTRACTA field experiment was conducted to examine the influence of social sanctions and self‐monitoring on willingness to help handicapped persons Compared to low self‐monitoring individuals, those high in self‐monitoring tendencies were more likely to offer help if told that significant social rewards were attached to the act of helping, but were less likely to help if led to believe that these consequences were weak Implications for research on helping and self‐monitoring are considered with particular attention being given to the relationship between social sanctions and self‐