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The roots of human altruism.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Warneken, F; Tomasello, M
Published in: British journal of psychology (London, England : 1953)
August 2009

Human infants as young as 14 to 18 months of age help others attain their goals, for example, by helping them to fetch out-of-reach objects or opening cabinets for them. They do this irrespective of any reward from adults (indeed external rewards undermine the tendency), and very likely with no concern for such things as reciprocation and reputation, which serve to maintain altruism in older children and adults. Humans' nearest primate relatives, chimpanzees, also help others instrumentally without concrete rewards. These results suggest that human infants are naturally altruistic, and as ontogeny proceeds and they must deal more independently with a wider range of social contexts, socialization and feedback from social interactions with others become important mediators of these initial altruistic tendencies.

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Published In

British journal of psychology (London, England : 1953)

DOI

EISSN

2044-8295

ISSN

0007-1269

Publication Date

August 2009

Volume

100

Issue

Pt 3

Start / End Page

455 / 471

Related Subject Headings

  • Socialization
  • Selection, Genetic
  • Reward
  • Pan troglodytes
  • Motivation
  • Models, Psychological
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Infant Behavior
  • Infant
  • Humans
 

Citation

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Warneken, F., & Tomasello, M. (2009). The roots of human altruism. British Journal of Psychology (London, England : 1953), 100(Pt 3), 455–471. https://doi.org/10.1348/000712608x379061
Warneken, Felix, and Michael Tomasello. “The roots of human altruism.British Journal of Psychology (London, England : 1953) 100, no. Pt 3 (August 2009): 455–71. https://doi.org/10.1348/000712608x379061.
Warneken F, Tomasello M. The roots of human altruism. British journal of psychology (London, England : 1953). 2009 Aug;100(Pt 3):455–71.
Warneken, Felix, and Michael Tomasello. “The roots of human altruism.British Journal of Psychology (London, England : 1953), vol. 100, no. Pt 3, Aug. 2009, pp. 455–71. Epmc, doi:10.1348/000712608x379061.
Warneken F, Tomasello M. The roots of human altruism. British journal of psychology (London, England : 1953). 2009 Aug;100(Pt 3):455–471.
Journal cover image

Published In

British journal of psychology (London, England : 1953)

DOI

EISSN

2044-8295

ISSN

0007-1269

Publication Date

August 2009

Volume

100

Issue

Pt 3

Start / End Page

455 / 471

Related Subject Headings

  • Socialization
  • Selection, Genetic
  • Reward
  • Pan troglodytes
  • Motivation
  • Models, Psychological
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Infant Behavior
  • Infant
  • Humans