Altruism - AllPsych

Helping Others Makes Toddlers Happy

Neil Petersen — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 23:32:40 +0000

A finding that comes up again and again in psychology research is that people feel better when they take prosocial actions, which is why helping others is one of the best ways of helping yourself. The ability to derive happiness from supporting other people seems to show up early in life. A new study published…

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Helping Others Is a Link Between Self-Control and Life Satisfaction

Neil Petersen — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 23:22:45 +0000

Last week, I wrote about the health and mental health benefits of volunteering. Today brings us another study on the theme of helping others being a good way to help yourself. If all this talk about the benefits of helping others is starting to sound a little preachy, don’t blame the messenger! It just happens…

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Older Adults’ Perceptions of Volunteering Improve When They Try It

Neil Petersen — Sat, 12 Oct 2019 02:26:39 +0000

Volunteering is an activity that seems to have as many benefits for the person doing it as for the people it’s intended to help. This seems to be true starting relatively early in life, with young adults who volunteer more having a greater sense of purpose. However, volunteering has especially been considered as a way…

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When Do Children Learn to Influence Others With Gifts?

Neil Petersen — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 03:31:05 +0000

Adults give gifts for different reasons, some of which are altruistic, and some of which are less so. One of the less altruistic reasons adults give gifts is when they want something in return. So when do children learn that they can influence other people with gifts? A team of psychologists explored this question in…

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Unlike Receiving, Giving Never Gets Old

Neil Petersen — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 23:55:50 +0000

When it comes to material goods, people are never quite satisfied with what they have. Eventually, that cool new phone you got for Christmas starts to seem routine. You get a good job, but sooner or later, you start to wish your salary was higher. The mindset of getting things is about always wanting more.…

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Is a Need to Contribute Key for Teens?

Neil Petersen — Thu, 20 Dec 2018 22:27:55 +0000

When it comes to the basic psychological needs of adolescence, we often talk about things like becoming more independent and developing a sense of identity. A new paper argues that teenagers have another fundamental psychological need we don’t talk about enough: the need to contribute. Whereas developing autonomy and identity are processes that are focused…

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Giving Advice Might Be Better Than Receiving It

Neil Petersen — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 17:00:16 +0000

You find yourself in a situation where you’re struggling. You don’t know what to do. Your confidence is starting to flag. Is it time to seek out some advice from other people? Actually, it might be time for you to give advice. In a new paper titled Dear Abby: Should I Give Advice or Receive…

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