Altruism

Altruism

A motive to increase another’s welfare without conscious regard for one’s self-interests

Selfishness in reverse

Social exchange theory, Social norms, and Evolutionary psychology

Three complementary theories of altruism

Social exchange theory

Theory that human interactions are transactions that aim to maximize one’s rewards and minimize one’s costs

Guided by social economics

Egoism

A motive (supposedly underlying all behavior) to increase one’s own welfare. The opposite of altruism

Social norms

Often we help others because we have consciously calculated that such behaviors in our self-interest but simply because something tells us we outgh to

Reciprocity norm

An expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them

The social responsibility norm

An expectation that people will help those who need help, without regard to future exchanges

Evolutionary psychology

Contends that the essence of life is gene survival

Kin selection

The idea that evolution has selected altruism toward one’s close relatives to enhance the survival of mutually shared genes

Situational influences

Helping when someone else does

Situation influences: Time pressures

A person not in hurry may stop and offer help to a person in distress.

Personal influences: Feelings

• Guilt

• Negative mood

• Exceptions to the feel bad-do good

  • Feel good, Do good

Personality traits and Religiosity

Personal influences

Gender and Similarity

Whom do we help?

Moral inclusion

They included people who differ from them within the human circle to which their moral values and rules of justice apply

Moral exclusion

The perception of certain individuals or group as outside the boundary within which one applies moral values and rules of fairness.

Modeling Altruism

Attributing helpful behavior to altruistic motives