The Altruistic Personality

Abstract

The last few years have seen an increasing diversity of approaches to altruism and prosocial behavior. Numerous books have documented this healthy growth in both the English-speaking and non-Englishspeaking research communities (e. g., Bar-Tal, 1976; Eisenberg, 1982; Mussen & Eisenberg-Berg, 1977; Reykowski, 1975; Rushton, 1980; Rushton & Sorrentino, 1981; Staub, 1978, 1979; Wispe, 1978). Despite this voluminous literature there is as yet no systematic program of research into “consistent patterns of individual differences” in altruistic behavior. This is because most researchers do not believe there is a trait of altruism—or at least, not one broadly based enough to Warrant major research attention. This chapter aims to correct this erroneous impression.