Over the years, psychologists' theories have gained popularity, according to which people are naturally selfish and ruthless. Steve Taylor, a psychology lecturer at Leeds Beckett University, cited by the BBC, notes, however, that the latest research undermines this pessimistic picture.
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What is the “gap effect”?
Steve Taylor notes that while humans have the capacity for selfishness, new research shows that we can act selflessly in many situations. Previously, the “bystander effect” was repeatedly used, a theory from the 1960s according to which people are less likely to intervene in crisis situations when they are in a group.
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However, modern research cited by the BBC disproves this theory. An analysis of surveillance footage of brutal assaults in the UK, the Netherlands and South Africa found that in nine out of ten cases someone tried to help the victim. Moreover, the more witnesses, the greater the likelihood of intervention.
You're not as selfish as you think. Experts translate
Taylor emphasizes that for most of human history, we lived in tribal, cooperative groups where cooperation was crucial to survival. Some modern hunter-gatherer societies still demonstrate an egalitarian approach to sharing resources.
Neuroscientist Abigail Marsh from Georgetown University and her team conducted imaging studies of the brains of people who donated a kidney to a stranger. They found that altruistic givers had a larger right amygdala and were more sensitive to others' emotions. These results were opposite to those observed in people with psychopathic traits.
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As psychologists explain, also the culture in which we grow up has a huge impact on our approach to altruism. In collectivist societies, such as many Asian countries, the good of the community often comes before the interests of the individual. An example is the Covid-19 pandemic – studies have shown that residents of collectivist cultures were more likely to wear masks to protect others.
Egoists or altruists? What psychology says about our behavior
Ching-Yu Huang, director of the Cambridge Alliance of Legal Psychology, cited by the BBC, notes that growing up in a collectivist society like Taiwan can come with pressure to put others first. When Huang moved to the US and UK, she initially found it difficult to accept a more individualistic approach. Eventually, she realized that sometimes it's worth betting on yourself.
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In turn, Tony Milligan, a philosopher from King's College London, quoted by the BBC, claims that most of us are “moral averages”. While we may admire figures like Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, we should not expect similar achievements from ourselves. Milligan emphasizes that a realistic approach to one's own capabilities allows one to better understand how to help others without forgetting about oneself.
Altruism, although deeply rooted in human nature, depends on many factors – from biology and culture to personal experiences. In a world where individualism is gaining in importance, it is worth remembering that helping others also benefits us. Sometimes you need to take care of your own needs first in order to effectively support others.
