Altruism

1
Altruism

• Teaching, developing, cultivating altruism pro
  social behavior is an important attitudinal goal,
  one of the most important

2
Altruism defined

• any action that benefits other people
  irrespective of the motive
• A. Marcoen (1999)
• empathizing with someone else
• giving praise
• avoiding criticism to receive a reward
• However motivation intention are important

3
Autonomous Normative Altruism

• Autonomous altruism
• Primary motive for your pro social act is the
  well being of someone else

• Normative altruism
• Acts of kindness committed in expectation of
  receiving personal benefits or avoiding criticism
  for failing to act.

4
Where/How do we get/become altruistic

• Biological Theory - that we do have a genetic
  tendency toward altruistic behavior.
• Psychoanalytical Theory internalizing
  altruistic values of society we consciously
  behave altruistically
• Social learning children LEARN pro social
  behavior. Adults have LEARNED that helping other
  people and being friendly pays off. There are
  lots of pluses for acting altruistically

5
How do children learn altruism?

• Conditioning children learn that empathetic
  responses, and helping others makes them feel
  good.
• Operant conditioning positive feelings combined
  with praise by significant others
• Observational learning research is very clear
  that observation by children of altruistic models
  behavior results in similar behavior by the child

6
Cognitive Development

• As children go through those cognitive phases,
  altruistic behavior will appear given the right
  situation, experiences etc.

7
Development of Pro-social (altruistic) Behavior

• Needs to start early, is generally not
  spontaneous
• Sibling conflicts over possessions
• Parents explaining relationships between one
  childs behavior and another childs distress

8
Modeling

• Pro-social behavior in children does not
  automatically increase with age
• American children often become less cooperative
  and more competitive between ages 4-12.
• All kinds of reasons NOT to act altruistically
• lack of competence hold back
• Not obligated because its an adults role or job
• Disapproval from peers or person your trying to
  help (may embarrass them or make them feel
  incompetent

9
Altruism increases as

• Children in primary years develop their social
  emotional role-taking skills
• Their pro-social moral reasoning goes up.
• Their self concept as an altruistic person is
  emerging