Altruism

Altruism

1. Altruism Dr. Suresh Kumar Murugesan PhD

2. About the Presenter Dr.Suresh Kumar Murugesan is a passionate Professor, Researcher and Mental Health Practitioner from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India At present he is Heading the PG Department of Psychology, The American College, Madurai and also an Adjunct Professor of School of Behavioural Sciences and Education at Texila American University He is very keen in new research studies in behavioural Sciences and open to learn. His area of specializations are Psychometry, and Positive Psychology.

3. Disclaimer This presentation is prepared for learning purpose only and all the images and pictures used in this presentation are taken from google image search. Due recognition is given to all the material collected from the various sources. Any name or reference is not not included in his presentation or need any modification in this presentation kindly bring it to the notice of the presenter for inclusion. Email - [email protected] Thank you

4. What?

5. The term altruism was originally coined in the 19th century by Auguste Comte. ‹#›

6. Altruism is selfless concern for the well-being of others. ‹#›

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8. Altruism is when we act to promote someone else’s welfare, even at a risk or cost to ourselves. ‹#›

9. Altruism is the principle and moral practice of concern for happiness of other human beings and/or animals. ‹#›

10. Altruism is caring about the welfare of other people and acting to help them ‹#›

11. Psychological altruism  defined as "a motivational state with the goal of increasing another’s welfare."

12. Altruism is defined as quality of a person to help others without thinking about his personal gains. ‹#›

13. Altruism is the unselfish concern for other people; doing things simply out of a desire to help, not because we feel obligated to out of duty, loyalty, or religious reasons. ‹#›

14. Everyday life is filled with small acts of altruism, from holding the door for strangers to the giving money to the homeless. ‹#›

15. Altruism: Concept

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17. Altruism: Traits

18. Traits of Altruism Helping Selflessness Social Responsibility Proactive Caring Moral Reasoning Making others happy Empathetic Noble emotion Transcendence Compassion Kindness Self Confident Love Attention to others

19. Altruism: Signs

20. S igns of Altruism Si gns of altruism include: Doing something to help someone else with no expectation of reward Forgoing things that may bring personal benefits if they create costs for others Helping someone despite personal costs or risks Sharing resources even in the face of scarcity Showing concern for someone else's well-being

21. Altruism: Types

22. Types of Altruism Genetic altruism Reciprocal altruism Group-selected altruism Pure altruism:

23. Genetic Altruism As the name suggests, this type of altruism involves engaging in altruistic acts that benefit close family members. For example, parents and other family members often engage in acts of sacrifice in order to provide for the needs of family members.

24. Reciprocal Altruism This type of altruism is based on a mutual give and take relationship. It involves helping another person now because they may one day be able to return the favor.

25. Group-selected altruism This type of altruism involves engaging in altruistic acts for people based upon their group affiliation. Rather than nurturing children or other genetically related individuals, people might direct their efforts toward helping other people or supporting social causes that benefit others that are part of their social group.

26. Pure altruism Also known as moral altruism, this form involves helping someone else, even when it is risky, without any reward. It is motivated by internalized values and morals.

27. Why?: Altruism

28. Why? What is it that inspires people to give their time, energy, and money for the betterment of others even when they receive nothing tangible in return? Psychologists have suggested a number of different explanations for why altruism exists. Some theories include: Evolution/G enetics Brain-Based Rewards Environment Social norms Incentives

29. Evolution Psychologists have long debated whether some people are just born with a natural tendency to help others, a theory that suggests that altruism may be influenced by genetics. Kin selection is an evolutionary theory that proposes that people are more likely to help those who are blood relatives because it will increase the odds of gene transmission to future generations. The theory suggests that altruism towards close relatives occurs in order to ensure the continuation of shared genes. The more closely the individuals are related, the more likely people are to help. Research also suggests that prosocial behaviors such as altruism, cooperativeness, and empathy have a genetic basis.

30. Brain-Based Rewards Altruism activates reward centers in the brain. Neurobiologists have found that when engaged in an altruistic act, the pleasure centers of the brain become more active. One 2014 study published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience found that engaging in compassionate actions activates the areas of the brain associated with the reward system, including the dopaminergic ventral tegmental area and the ventral striatum. The positive feelings created by compassionate actions then reinforce altruistic behaviors.

31. Environment One study suggested that interactions and relationships with others have a major influence on altruistic behavior. The study found that socialization had a significant impact on altruistic actions in one- and two-year-old children. Kids who observed simple reciprocal acts of altruism were far more likely to exhibit altruistic actions. On the other hand, friendly but non-altruistic modeled actions did not show the same results. Such research suggests that modeling altruistic actions can be an important way to foster prosocial and compassionate actions in children.

32. Social Norms Society's rules, norms, and expectations can also influence whether or not people engage in altruistic behavior. The norm of reciprocity, for example, is a social expectation in which we feel pressured to help others if they have already done something for us. For example, if your friend loaned you money for lunch a few weeks ago, you'll probably feel compelled to reciprocate when they ask if you if they can borrow 1000. They did something for you, now you feel obligated to do something in return.

33. Incentives While the definition of altruism involves doing for others without reward, there may still be cognitive incentives that are not obvious. For example, we might help others to relieve our own distress or because being kind to others upholds our view of ourselves as kind, empathetic people. Other cognitive explanations include: Empathy Helping relieve negative feelings

34. Incentives Empathy : Researchers suggest that people are more likely to engage in altruistic behavior when they feel empathy for the person who is in distress, a suggestion known as the empathy-altruism hypothesis . 5  Researchers have found that children tend to become more altruistic as their sense of empathy develops. Helping relieve negative feelings : Other experts have proposed that altruistic acts help relieve the negative feelings created by observing someone else in distress, an idea referred to as the negative-state relief model . Essentially, seeing another person in trouble causes us to feel upset, distressed, or uncomfortable, so helping the person in trouble helps reduce these negative feelings.

35. Effect/ Impact of Altruism

36. Impact of Altruism While altruism can have some drawbacks when taken to extremes, it is important to remember that it is a positive force that can benefit both you and others. Research suggests that altruism has a wide range of benefits that can help make people happier and healthier.

37. E ffects of altruism Better health Better mental well-being Better romantic relationships

38. Better health Research has found that behaving altruistically can improve physical health in a variety of ways. People who volunteer have been found to have better overall health and regularly engaging in helping behaviors is linked to a significantly lower risk of dying.

39. Better mental well-being : Doing good things for other people can make you feel good about yourself and the world. Studies have found that people experience increased happiness after doing good things for other people.

40. Better romantic relationships Being kind and compassionate can also lead to a better relationship with your partner. Researchers have found that kindness is one of the most important qualities that people across all cultures seek in a romantic partner.

41. Social Connection E ngaging in altruism can also help improve social connections and relationships, which can ultimately play a part in improving health and wellness.

42. Pitfalls of Altruism

43. Potential Pitfalls While altruism is generally thought of as a positive force, there can be some possible drawbacks and difficulties. Some possible downsides: It can sometimes create risk. People may engage in altruistic acts that can place them in danger. It may sometimes lead people to neglect their own needs in order to care for others. While it may be led by good intentions, acts of altruism don't always lead to positive outcomes. It may lead people to focus their efforts on one cause while neglecting others. It can lead to personal problems if we are neglecting our health, social, or financial needs.

44. Potential Pitfalls Altruism is generally a positive force, but too much of it can lead to serious problems. For example, people who work in helping professions may find themselves emotionally overwhelmed by caring for and helping others. In a more severe example, a person who altruistically adopts animals may shift into animal hoarding, reaching a point where they can no longer house or care for the animals they have taken in.

45. Tips for Altruism

46. Tips / Tricks While some people may come by altruistic tendencies more naturally, there are things that we can do to help foster helpful behaviors in oneself and others. Some things that we can do to help cultivate altruism include: Find inspiration: Practice empathy: Set a goal:

47. Find inspiration : Look to inspirational people who engage in altruistic acts. Seeing others work to actively improve the lives of individuals and communities can inspire you to act altruistically in our own life

48. Practice empathy : Rather than distancing self from others, work on building a connection and putting a human face on the problems we see. Consider how we would feel in that situation and think about things that we can do that might help make a difference.

49. Set a goal F ind ways that we can regularly perform random acts of kindness for others. Look around at the people in our life who may need help or look for ways that we can volunteer in our community. Fix a meal for someone in need, help a friend with a chore, donate during a blood drive, or spend some time volunteering for a local organization

50. Reference Shonna Waters ( October 19, 2021) What is altruism (and is it important at work)? https://www.betterup.com/blog/altruism https://thriveworks.com/blog/5-characteristics-of-the-truly-altruistic-person/#:~:text=Altruism%20is%20characterized%20by%20selflessness,tie%20to%20them%20or%20not . https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-altruism-2794828 https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/75/1/385.full.pdf https://www.pnas.org/content/111/42/15036 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022440571900616 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-014-2435-x https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/altruism/definition https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/altruism/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/altruism