Self-Reinforcement and Generosity Following Two Types of Altruistic Behavior

MASTERS, JOHN C., and PIsARowIcz, PATRICIA A. Self-Reinforcement and Generosity Following Two Types of Altruistic Behavior. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1975, 46, 313-318. Different types of altruistic task performance were hypothesized to be differentially socialized determinants of subsequent self-reinforcement, generosity, and competency ratings, and two specific types of altruism were differentiated. Children were told nothing about the nature of the task (control), that it would help other normal children (simple altruism), or that it would help deaf children (remedial altruism). While working at the task they self-dispensed rewards as a function of the quality of their performance (contingently) or as they wished (noncontingently). Children self-dispensed rewards more generously following simple altruism but not following remedial altruism, and generosity was significantly reduced following remedial altruism when prior selfreward had been noncontingent. Children rated the quality of their performance higher on both altruistic tasks.