Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
Published on: September 28, 2018
Revisiting Psychological Mechanisms in the Anthropology of Altruism
Joseph Hackman1, Shirajum Munira2, Khaleda Jasmin2
1School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. jhackman@asu.edu.
Abstract:
Anthropologists have long been interested in the reasons humans choose to help some individuals and not others. Early research considered psychological mediators, such as feelings of cohesion or closeness, but more recent work, largely in the tradition of human behavioral ecology, shifted attention away from psychological measures to clearer observables, such as past behavior, genetic relatedness, affinal ties, and geographic proximity. In this paper, we assess the value of reintegrating psychological measures-perceived social closeness-into the anthropological study of altruism. Specifically, analyzing social network data from four communities in rural Bangladesh (N = 516), we show that perceived closeness has a strong independent effect on helping, which cannot be accounted for by other factors. These results illustrate the potential value of reintegrating proximate psychological measures into anthropological studies of human cooperation.
More Related Videos
11:13The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
06:45Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal
Published on: April 18, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Egoism and Altruism
Altruism
Evolutionary Psychology
Inclusive Fitness
Fundamental Attribution Error
Impact of Individuals on Individuals