Altruism and the Preschooler

The Wall Street Journal:

Preschool-age children from wealthier families generally behave less charitably than those from lower economic brackets, according to a recent study. What’s more, the study says, that lack of altruism could affect the physical and mental health of the wealthier children.

The study, published recently in the journal Psychological Science, examined the roots and benefits of altruism in preschool-age children. The study’s authors argue that their findings highlight the importance of a child’s early environment in developing charitable tendencies.

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Felix Warneken, an associate professor in the department of psychology at Harvard University who has conducted extensive research on the social behaviors of children, praised the study for “going deeper and broader” than previous research by examining both the physiological and social aspects of altruism.

Read the whole story: The Wall Street Journal