Study Finds Link Between Brain Activity and Altruism

A new study has found that activity in certain areas of the brain can predict altruistic behavior, reports Reuters.

“Although understanding the function of this brain region may not necessarily identify what drives people like Mother Theresa, it may give clues to the origins of important social behaviors like altruism,” said Scott Huettel, a Duke University neuroscientist who led the study.

In the study, 45 college students were put into a magnetic resonance imaging machine to monitor their brain activity. They were given games to play and told that if they won, they could either give the cash to themselves or to a charity, which they had picked before the test. Donating money did not cost the participants any of their payment.

The researchers were surprised that giving money to charity did not activate the reward centers of the brain, as previous studies have suggested. The altruistic acts activated an area that interprets meaning. “We think altruism might help others understand the intentions of others,” Mr. Huettel said.

Another study found that donating money activated the same area of the brain as sex, food, and drugs, reports The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

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