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Updated: Jan 25, 2026

Synthesis and Microdiffraction at Extreme Pressures and Temperatures
Published on: October 7, 2013
Altruism, collective rationality, and extreme self-sacrifice
Andrew M Colman1, Briony D Pulford1
1School of Psychology,University of Leicester,Leicester LE1 7RH,United Kingdom.amc@le.ac.ukbdp5@le.ac.ukhttps://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/npb/people/amchttps://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/npb/people/bdp5.
Abstract:
Puzzlement about extreme self-sacrifice arises from an unarticulated assumption of psychological egoism, according to which people invariably act in their own self-interests. However, altruism and collective rationality are well established experimentally: people sometimes act to benefit others or in the interests of groups to which they belong. When such social motives are sufficiently strong, extreme self-sacrifice presents no special problem of explanation and does not require out-group threats.
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