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MENTAL MODEL · M4295

Altruism

Altruism
BehaviorHigh supportSocial Psychology
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28

CORE DEFINITION

Altruism (English: altruism; French: altruisme), also translated as altruistic behavior, is a caring behavior that emphasizes selfless dedication and efforts to help others without expecting any return or benefit. Altruism is a virtue in many cultures. Academically, altruism exhibits complexity and multi-faceted characteristics. Different scholars have proposed their own viewpoints and definitions. Altruism has attracted attention and research in fields such as philosophy, biology, and psychology.

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Altruism (English: altruism; French: altruisme), also translated as altruistic behavior, is a caring behavior that emphasizes selfless dedication and efforts to help others without expecting any return or benefit. Altruism is a virtue in many cultures. Academically, altruism exhibits complexity and multi-faceted characteristics. Different scholars have proposed their own viewpoints and definitions. Altruism has attracted attention and research in fields such as philosophy, biology, and psychology.

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A social psychology concept. Motivation for selfless helping, or altruism based on reciprocity/kin selection. The mechanism is "cooperative gains"—altruism reduces group transaction costs through kin selection and reciprocity norms, promoting the survival of cooperation.

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Source support: Explicit

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    zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%88%A9%E4%BB%96%E4%B8%BB%E4%B9%89ZH · Explicit
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