There are plenty of generous people in the world who choose to donate huge sums of money and expect nothing in return aside from, say, their name engraved in 3-foot high letters on a major landmark.

Reducing social contact is widely understood to slow disease spread, but because there is no personal health benefit gained from self-isolating, this would seem to require some concern for others. But ...

We've all heard examples of animal altruism: Dogs caring for orphaned kittens, chimps sharing food or dolphins nudging injured mates to the surface. Now, a study led by the University of Colorado ...

(Phys.org) —That Homo sapiens exhibits both cooperative and competitive behavior is a topic that continues to be the subject of ongoing discussion. In terms of cooperation, altruism (a selfless type ...

Women placed significantly greater importance on altruistic traits in all three studies. Yet both sexes may consider altruistic traits when choosing a partner. One hundred and seventy couples were ...

Philosophers and scientists have long argued about whether or not altruism exits. Those on one side say that people act selflessly to benefit others out of a natural, inherent quality of goodness; ...

The volume of a small brain region influences one's predisposition for altruistic behavior. Researchers have shown that people who behave more altruistically than others have more gray matter at the ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about the psychology of leadership, tech and entrepreneurship. Benevolent acts are often motivated by selfish intentions, ...

What would motivate someone to donate a kidney to someone they have never met? Research has struggled to come up with a satisfying answer, but a recent study conducted by researchers at Georgetown ...

Scores of psychological studies suggest that, for guys, attractiveness isn't just about the way you look. From being a talented musician to walking a dog, there are plenty of traits and behaviors that ...

Here’s a discovery that could make secular parents say hallelujah: Children who grow up in nonreligious homes are more generous and altruistic than children from observant families. A series of ...