Can you recommend a few papers on quantifying the outcomes of altruistic behavior that go beyond net QALY?
Not talking about Price equation or Hamilton's rule here.
This is a good question with lots of possible answers.
RG includes downloadable papers on this topic:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8074978_Dopaminergic_polymorphisms_associated_with_self-report_measures_of_human_altruism_A_fresh_phenotype_for_the_dopamine_D4_receptor_3
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280881202_Human_Altruism_and_Cooperation_Explainable_as_Adaptations_to_Past_Environments_No_Longer_Fully_Evident_in_the_Modern_World
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tim_Phillips4/publications
Another sources of insights in measuring human altruism is provided by
https://software.rc.fas.harvard.edu/lds/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/2009c_Warneken_Tomasello_BJP.pdf
More to the point, see measures by Levine (1998), Rabin (1993) and Fehr/Schmidt (1999 on pages 28-29 in)
http://analyse-und-kritik.net/2005-1/AK_Fehr_Fischbacher_1_2005.pdf
Article Dopaminergic polymorphisms associated with self-report measu...
Article Human Altruism and Cooperation Explainable as Adaptations to...
Thanks James for mentioning my group's dopamine paper. Here are some more relevant papers that I've co-authored. Rachel.
Thank you, James and Rachel! I am working on a paper with a mathematical approach to evaluating altruistic behavior. It would be great if you could review it once I get the pre-submission draft ready. I will cite your work.
Thanks for this enquiry. As you will see from the QRB papaer we used a self-report altruism scale to measure general altruistic behaviour (Rushton et al 1981, Personality and Individual Differences 2: 293-302). To focus on the other side of the sexual selection process we developed an MPAT scale to measure mate preference towards this behaviour (Phillips et al 2008, British Journal of Psychology 99: 555-572). Using a twin study design we subsequenlty found that both mate preference and the preferred trait responses were subject to additive genetic influence, lending further support to the influence of sexual selection on this human trait.
Thank you, @Tim Phillips! I enjoyed your paper "A link between altruism and sexual selection: Genetic influence on altruistic behaviour and mate preference towards it" and will be citing it.
The paper I started working on deals with fundamental human values, methods to quantify altruism and derive net present value for every decision. Can you recommend any papers quantifying altruism in the context of maximizing QALY?
The problem in quantifying altruism is that altruistic acts are inextricably associated with cultural factors. As I see it, cultural phenomena are not bound by the constants found in the natural sciences and consequently do not allow firm predictions to be made and tested. I would argue that only in so far as altruism is subject to the laws of genetics can it be measured scientifically - as illustrated in our paper. I recommend you read Hauser's book 'Moral Minds' (2006) if you have not already done so. It explores the overlap between genes and culture in relation to altruistic behaviour in a very informative way.
@Alexander Zhavoronkov:
I am working on a paper with a mathematical approach to evaluating altruistic behavior. It would be great if you could review it once I get the pre-submission draft ready.
Is there a good overview of mathematical approaches to measuring human altruism? - ResearchGate. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/post/Is_there_a_good_overview_of_mathematical_approaches_to_measuring_human_altruism [accessed Apr 24, 2016].
Yes, please send the draft of your paper and I will review it. Please use the RG message utility to send me a copy of your paper. I am sure it will be a significant contribution to the literature and well-worth reading.
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