prev next front |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10 |11 |12 |13 |14 |15 |16 |17 |18 |19 |20 |21 |22 |23 |24 |25 |26 |27 |28 |29 |30 |31 |32 |33 |review

Studies have shown that during WWII, psychiatric patients had a decrease in symptoms when asked to help others in meaningful ways. Studies in ethology (the study of animal behavior) have demonstrated reciprocal altruism: Animals who share during good times receive more during bad times.  Brain imaging studies show increased activity in the dopamine-nucleus accumbens reward system. Cooperation, from a neurobiological standpoint, appears to be rewarding (Southwick, 2007).