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Aging and altruism: A meta-analysis.

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Older adults demonstrate greater altruism than younger adults, supporting life span theories. However, this age-related increase in altruism may be influenced by declining resources in advanced old age.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Gerontology
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Life span theories suggest increasing altruism with age.
  • Mechanisms and moderators of age-related altruism remain unclear.
  • Distinguishing altruistic motivation from resource and social desirability effects is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To meta-analyze age differences in altruism.
  • To investigate moderators of age-related altruism, including demographics and study methodology.
  • To examine the role of altruistic motivation versus resources.

Main Methods:

  • Meta-analysis of 16 studies.
  • Involved younger and older adult participants (N = 1,581).
  • Assessed altruism and potential moderating variables.

Main Results:

  • Older adults exhibited significantly greater altruism than younger adults (Mg = 0.61, p < .001).
  • Demographic factors and study methodology did not moderate the age effect.
  • The magnitude of the age effect varied with the average age of the older sample.

Conclusions:

  • Findings support age-related increases in altruistic motivation.
  • Resource availability (physical, cognitive, social) may influence altruism in advanced old age.
  • Further research is needed to understand the interplay of motivation and resources in later life altruism.