Prosocial Motives, Emotions, and Behavior: The Better Angels of Our Nature Hardcover – Illustrated, January 1, 2010

Drawing on the resurgence of interest in altruism and prosocial behavior, this book covers a variety of topics including empathy, evolution/genetics (genetic determination of prosocial behavior appears to increase with age), the ongoing person-by situation debate (and their interaction), the psychoanalytic perspective, "social neuroscience" as a "new integrative field" (focus on mirror neurons), helping relations as status relations (aka "I'm OK, you're not OK"), basic values, compassionate love, and gratitude and forgiveness linked to prosocial behavior. Interestingly, Bowlby and attachment theory/caregiving behavior appear convincingly in several sections of the book. I couldn't help but note that there was considerable nitpicking throughout the book concerning definitions of various concepts (implying that we are still in the early stages of theory development). I was especially interested in the article by Sommerfield, in which she explored what people are thinking and feeling when they engage in behavior that they experience as generous. In a series of studies, she developed the Experience of Generosity Questionnaire, and factor analysis revealed the following factors associated with generosity: emotional cost and burden (personal cost of helping, appreciation of the other, feeling exploited, etc.), prosocial orientation (good intentions, wanting to help, etc.), narcissistic gratification (other person was grateful, felt good about helping, etc.), and guilt and self-accusation (obligation to help others, should have helped more). These factors were associated in interesting ways with the Five Factor model of personality and other psychological variables. Overall, the book is an excellent review of recent research concerning altruism.

This is a topic that I have thought and worked around for the past 40 years. Failures of empathy, compassion, pro-social conduct, mark the troubled, in trouble, and generally troubling people in the world. I was impressed that a meeting could be convened and this product rendered so eloquently. Thank you for offering this item. Oh, I did buy two because I gifted one to a colleague.

interesting and provocativeprovides overview and good summary of extant literature from the best researchers in the fielda must for anyone interested in prosocial behavior