Altruism, happiness, and health: it’s good to be good

By S. Post. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2005

751 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Subfields: Applied Psychology, Health, Social Psychology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/f06ca3ad77f9f662a6ee43feb7da6e823eaec2a0

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Citations in the corpus

Self-Centeredness and Selflessness: A Theory of Self-Based Psychological Functioning and Its Consequences for Happiness (2011, neutral): “Caprara and Steca (2005) note that generosity toward others is associated with higher levels of well-being (e.g., Dovidio, Piliavin, Schroeder, & Penner, 2006; Lyubomirsky, Sheldon, & Schkade, 2005; Post, 2005; Simmons, 1991; Weinstein & Ryan, 2010; Williamson & Clark, 1989; Yinon & Landau, 1987).”
Spirituality, Religiousness, and Happiness in Children Aged 8–12 Years (2010, background): “Furthermore, acts of altruism and volunteering, which may increase personal meaning, are associated with enhanced well-being including happiness (see Keyes and Waterman 2003; Post 2005).”
Providing Adaptive Health Updates Across the Personal Social Network (2014, background): “Social support is good for the recipient and the provider, as long as the support is appropriate (Uchino, Cacioppo, & Kiecolt-Glaser, 1996), and the provider is not overwhelmed by the support needs of others (Post, 2005).”
The Relationship Between Social Support and Subjective Well-Being Across Age (2014, background): “Alternatively, one may feel pride or pleasure from the opportunity of influencing someone's life, regardless of how small the act (Sommer and Bourgeois 2010), and research on altruism suggests that it increases positive affect (Post 2005).”
Prosocial spending and well-being: cross-cultural evidence for a psychological universal. (2013, positive): “(2012). Happiness runs in a circular motion: Evidence for a positive feedback loop between prosocial spending and happiness.”
The Working for Wellness Program: RCT of an Employee Well-Being Intervention (2012, background): “The emphasis on group discussion also allowed participants to provide support to others, thus possibly engendering the benefits of giving (Post 2005).”
An applied framework for Positive Education (2013, background): “In addition, there is evidence that doing things for others, and having a sense that life is purposeful and meaningful, contributes to students’ psychological and physical health (Post, 2005).”
Win–Win–Win: The Influence of Company‐Sponsored Volunteerism Programs on Employees, NGOs, and Business Units (2013, background): “Many people experience an energy producing “helper’s high” during volunteerism activities as endorphins are released, resulting in positive physical and emotional feelings (Post, 2005).”
Positive organizational psychology, behavior, and scholarship: A review of the emerging literature and evidence base (2010, background): “The positive orientation to research, application, and scholarship inspired by the positive psychology movement escaped the disciplinary confinement of psychology, and has spread quickly across the disciplines and professions of education (Clonan, Chafouleas, McDougal, & Riley-Tillman, 2004; Gilman,”
Measuring Well-being Across Europe: Description of the ESS Well-being Module and Preliminary Findings (2009, background): “giving to others, doing things for others or volunteering, may contribute more to our general well-being and even to our physical health, than receiving support (Brown 2003; Brown et al. 2003; Post 2005; Meier and Stutzer 2008).”
When helping helps: autonomous motivation for prosocial behavior and its influence on well-being for the helper and recipient. (2010, background): “In this discussion (e.g., Batson, 1987; Batson, Van Lange, Ahmad, & Lishner, 2003; Cialdini et al., 1987; Post, 2005) theorists have debated the relevance and impact of egoistic and altruistic motives in helping behaviors.”
It’s good to do good and receive good: The impact of a ‘pay it forward’ style kindness intervention on giver and receiver well-being (2015, neutral): “…decreased depression, lower blood pressure, and even increased longevity (Burr, Tavares, & Mutchler, 2011; Dulin, Gavala, Stephens, Kostick, & McDonald, 2012; Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005; Musick & Wilson, 2003; Post, 2005; Wheeler, Gorey, & Greenblatt, 1998; Windsor, Anstey, & Rodgers, 2008).”
Thriving With Social Purpose: An Integrative Approach to the Development of Optimal Human Functioning (2007, background): “Post (2005) suggested that the positive consequences associated with helping goals are largely attributable to their ability to amplify positive emotions such as empathy and affection that reinforce concern for others and limit the impact of negative emotional states.”