Altruism

Altruism can be conceptualized either as a motivational state or as prosocial behavior. A number of factors that promote altruism have been investigated, including situational, dispositional, psychological, and evolutionary antecedents. Altruism has important implications for interpersonal relations, aggression reduction, well-being, and other positive mental health outcomes. Although altruism is generally viewed as a positive phenomenon, this is not always accurate. Altruism can lead to favoritism of one individual over others, to violations of moral principles, and to aggression toward those perceived as harming a valued other.