Children in Poor Families are more Altruistic than those from Wealthy Families

Roots and Benefits of Costly Giving

Children Who Are More Altruistic Have Greater Autonomic Flexibility and Less Family Wealth
Jonas G. Miller
Sarah Kahle
Paul D. Hastings
University of California, Davis
Jonas G. Miller, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, 135 Young Hall, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616 E-mail: jgemiller@ucdavis.edu

Abstract

Altruism, although costly, may promote well-being for people who give. Costly giving by adults has received considerable attention, but less is known about the possible benefits, as well as biological and environmental correlates, of altruism in early childhood. In the current study, we present evidence that children who forgo self-gain to help other people show greater vagal flexibility and higher subsequent vagal tone than children who do not, and children from less wealthy families behave more altruistically than those from wealthier families. These results suggest that (a) altruism should be viewed through a biopsychosocial lens, (b) the influence of privileged contexts on children’s willingness to make personal sacrifices for others emerges early, and (c) altruism and healthy vagal functioning may share reciprocal relations in childhood. When children help others at a cost to themselves, they could be playing an active role in promoting their own well-being as well as the well-being of others.

http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2015/05/22/0956797615578476.abstract