Development of Altruism toward kin vs. non-kin: Evolutionary perspective

Evolutionary principles suggest that there will be differences in the nature of altruism directed toward kin vs. non-kin; humans preferentially provide the low-cost help to non-kin who had helped them, but the high-cost help to close relations. The present study sought to explore these differences. Participants were 178 5-year-olds, 11-year-olds and adults. Participants were asked to whom they would provide the high-cost help and low-cost help. Five-year-olds preferentially provided both the low- and high-cost helps to the helper who had helped them in the past, demonstrating the importance of reciprocity for helping behavior. Eleven-year-olds and adults preferentially provided the low-cost helps to the past helper just like 5-year-olds. However, they provided the high-cost help to siblings even though they had not helped them, suggesting the impotance of close relation for the high-cost helping behavior. The present results suggest that the nature of altruism changes during developmental course.

keywords: altruism, evolutionary principle, kin selection theory, reciprocity, kin, 이타주의, 진화적 원리, 혈연선택 이론, 호혜성, 혈연

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Article Contents

Vol.27 No.2

Development of Altruism toward kin vs. non-kin: Evolutionary perspective

Abstract

Reference

Korean Journal of Psychology: General