Spontaneous Altruism by Chimpanzees and Young Children

• Published in: PLoS biology Vol. 5; no. 7; p. e184
• Main Authors: Warneken, Felix, Hare, Brian, Melis, Alicia P, Hanus, Daniel, Tomasello, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.07.2007; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Altruism; Altruistic behavior in animals; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Behavior; Behavior, Animal; Biological Evolution; Children; Chimpanzees; Comparative analysis; Comparative studies; Conspecifics; Evolutionary Biology; Experimental studies; Female; Food; Homo (Human); Humans; Infant; Infant Behavior - psychology; Male; Monkeys & apes; Pan troglodytes - genetics; Pan troglodytes - psychology; Primates; Reward; Species Specificity; Studies; United States; Species Specificity; Humans; Infant; Infant Behavior; Male; Pan troglodytes; Altruism; Behavior, Animal; Biological Evolution; Animals; Analysis of Variance; Female; Reward

People often act on behalf of others. They do so without immediate personal gain, at cost to themselves, and even toward unfamiliar individuals. Many researchers have claimed that such altruism emanates from a species-unique psychology not found in humans' closest living evolutionary relatives,...