This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Batson, C. D. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Batson, C. D. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Why Act for the Public Good? Four Answers

University of Kansas

A conceptual analysis is offered that differentiates four motives for acting for the public good: egoism, collectivism, altruism, and principlism. Differentiation is based on identification of a unique ultimate goal for each motive. For egoism, the ultimate goal is self-benefit; for collectivism, it is to increase group welfare; for altruism, to increase one or more other individuals' welfare; for principlism, to uphold one or more moral principles. Advocates claim that these last three motives cannot be reduced to egoism. Evidence for this claim is limited, however, especially for collectivism and principlism. It is hoped that the conceptual distinctions proposed will permit broader, more precise empirical study of nonegoistic motives for acting for the public good.

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 20, No. 5, 603-610 (1994)
DOI: 10.1177/0146167294205016


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Rasoal, T. Jungert, S. Hau, E. Edvardsson Stiwne, and G. Andersson Ethnocultural Empathy Among Students in Health Care Education Eval Health Prof, September 1, 2009; 32(3): 300 - 313. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. W. Jackson Reactions to Social Dilemmas as a Function of Group Identity, Rational Calculations, and Social Context Small Group Research, December 1, 2008; 39(6): 673 - 705. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. Mazen, S. Herman, and S. Ornstein Professor Delight: Cultivating Organizational Citizenship Behavior Journal of Management Education, October 1, 2008; 32(5): 563 - 579. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Kemmelmeier, E. E. Jambor, and J. Letner Individualism and Good Works: Cultural Variation in Giving and Volunteering Across the United States Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, May 1, 2006; 37(3): 327 - 344. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K. S. Cameron and A. Caza Introduction: Contributions to the Discipline of Positive Organizational Scholarship American Behavioral Scientist, February 1, 2004; 47(6): 731 - 739. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K. S. Cameron, D. Bright, and A. Caza Exploring the Relationships between Organizational Virtuousness and Performance American Behavioral Scientist, February 1, 2004; 47(6): 766 - 790. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. D. Batson, D. A. Lishner, A. Carpenter, L. Dulin, S. Harjusola-Webb, E. L. Stocks, S. Gale, O. Hassan, and B. Sampat "... As you Would have Them Do Unto You": Does Imagining Yourself in the Other's Place Stimulate Moral Action? Pers Soc Psychol Bull, September 1, 2003; 29(9): 1190 - 1201. [Abstract] [PDF]

				E. R. Smith, J. W. Jackson, and C. W. Sparks Effects of Inequality and Reasons for Inequality on Group Identification and Cooperation in Social Dilemmas Group Processes Intergroup Relations, April 1, 2003; 6(2): 201 - 220. [Abstract] [PDF]

				V. Murphy-Berman and J. J. Berman Cross-Cultural Differences in Perceptions of Distributive Justice: A Comparison of Hong Kong and Indonesia Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, March 1, 2002; 33(2): 157 - 170. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. D. Batson, N. Ahmad, J. Yin, S. J. Bedell, J. W. Johnson, and C. M. Templin Two Threats to the Common Good: Self-Interested Egoism and Empathy-Induced Altruism Pers Soc Psychol Bull, January 1, 1999; 25(1): 3 - 16. [Abstract] [PDF]