Academic Journal
How developing prosocial motivations shape children's altruism.
| Title: | How developing prosocial motivations shape children's altruism. |
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| Authors: | Hepach R; Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; New College, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom. Electronic address: robert.hepach@psy.ox.ac.uk., Daniel E; School of Education, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. |
| Source: | Trends in cognitive sciences [Trends Cogn Sci] 2026 Jun; Vol. 30 (6), pp. 480-483. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Apr 18. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article; Review |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Elsevier Science Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 9708669 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1879-307X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 13646613 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Trends Cogn Sci Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: Kidlington, Oxford, UK : Elsevier Science, c1997- |
| MeSH Terms: | Motivation*/physiology , Child Development*/physiology , Child Behavior*/psychology , Altruism* , Social Behavior*, Humans ; Child ; Empathy |
| Abstract: | Developmental perspectives are crucial to harnessing the human potential for altruism. We synthesise and highlight recent research on the motivations underlying children's (costly) prosocial behaviour. The order in which children develop intrinsic, extrinsic, and strategic motivations to benefit others has implications for efforts to positively impact young people's lives. (Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: altruism; childhood; empathy; extrinsic motivation; intrinsic motivation; prosocial behaviour |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260419 Date Completed: 20260606 Latest Revision: 20260712 |
| Update Code: | 20260712 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.tics.2026.03.007 |
| PMID: | 42002426 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1879-307X |
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| DOI: | 10.1016/j.tics.2026.03.007 |