Why do people feel good about doing good deeds? Altruism can be a leftover evolutionary trait that makes people feel the need to do something good. Altruism is thought to only benefit those on the receiving end but it is now believed to also benefit those that give the help. Altruism comes from the Latin word alter which translates to other. To be altruistic is to be unselfish, to help others selflessly and show concern towards others, so a person who is altruistic will place the needs of others over personal needs. This essay will explain how altruism is developed through biological, social and psychological factors and evaluate the psychological effects of altruism. Recent studies have suggested that altruism might not be completely selfless and that altruistic people do benefit themselves through altruistic acts and thus it can be said that altruism can have a positive psychological effect on happiness and health.
People that are genuinely unselfish and kind tend to be healthier, happier, and feel less stress in life. Philosophers, religious leaders and poets have been stating for many years that it is beneficial to be helpful towards others. Altruistic activities can release endorphins which releases feel good chemicals and can help increase satisfaction in life as well as lessen the amount of stress people may be experiencing by offering a distraction from problems. It also helps with improving physical health such as having a longer lifespan and lower blood pressure. A study shows that participating in altruistic activities can improve a person’s mood, reduce stress and increase the overall satisfaction in life. According to Dan Richmond, (2017, vol. 12, No. 8) an Oregon Nurses Association Member, a person can gain new perspectives and passions at work by being altruistic, thus reducing stress and feelings of being burned out. Therefore, the effects of altruism are positive as it can help to gain balance in life which leads to an increase in health and happiness.
The act of helping others is surprisingly more helpful to the person who is offering help than to the person who is receiving help. Frank Riessman, a social psychologist, described this as the Helper Therapy Principle and states that the wellbeing of others is important for the helper’s health. ‘The wisdom of the ages has it that actions on behalf of others have a payback feature: the benefits of unselfish acts revert back to the giver. Virtue, as the saying goes, is its own reward’ (Post, 2009, P.18). A study has shown that many community health workers believed that helpers gained benefits that include a positive self-image, feelings of belonging and can prevent depression, anxiety, and can improve quality of life and offer personal meaning. A study of people with cancer, cardiac disease, chronic pain or AIDS has produced surprising results. The researchers at Stanford University found that not only was the patients mood lifted but the patients who participated in support group activities survived longer than those that did not participate. Another study shows that people that suffer with chronic pain find that the pain is lessened when they help other people that suffer with the same ailment. People who are socially connected live longer than people who live a life of solitude and the results show a 20% decrease in the risk of death. Therefore, it is believed that altruism can elevate mood levels and help people with psychological problems.
Altruism can be influenced from four different factors that together help to develop an altruistic personality. The Altruism Development Model (ADM) that was founded by Curry et al. explains that a person’s biology, cognition, social learning and religion/spirituality has a large role in the development of the Altruistic trait. The biological factor explains that people are born with an altruistic gene, so you either have altruism or you don’t (Dugatkin, 2006). Konenci and Ebbesen (1975) state that people learn to be altruistic through social and cultural norms. Children grow up seeing how parents interact and help other members of the community and learn to do the same. Eisenberg (1999) believes that it is cognitively learned and is based on the person’s ability to understand other perspectives, therefore, empathy is a learned trait. A person’s religious and spiritual beliefs also plays a part in the development of altruism (Curry et al, 2009). Most religions are based on altruism such as Christians and Buddhism, which teach people to be kind and helpful to others. Each factor simultaneously plays a part in the development of altruism which is like the Biopsychosocial Model approach where each factor is taken into consideration.
In can be concluded that altruism does have a positive psychological effect on happiness. Altruism is shaped by biological, social and cognitive factors. Helping others selflessly can benefit the helper more than the people that are receiving the help. This trait has helped to improve people’s health, increase happiness and reduce the stress that may arise in life resulting in a higher quality of life. It improves the mood of the person that unselfishly helps others as well as prevents feelings of depression and anxiety. People that act altruistically have increased life expectancy and experience less pain when suffering from chronic pains. Altruism reduces stress by helping people find new meaning and a different perspective on a situation. The psychological effects of altruism are positive and beneficial and provide help to both the giver and the person receiving the help. Further study is needed to better understand how to utilise these benefits effectively.