The Level of Altruism and Self-image Empirical Research on Adolescents

Abstract

The paper is a report on empirical research dealing with the relationship between altruism and self-image. Altruism is here taken to mean activity on behalf of other without awaiting external gratification (Macaulay, Berkowitz 1970 p. 3). Two methods have been used in the research: A-N Questionnaire (cf. S´ liwak 1988, 1993a) and Gough’s and Heilbrun’s Adjective Check List (ACL).

The first method (A-N) served to measure the intensity of altruism; the ACL questionnaire tested self-image.

These methods sought to verify the following hypotheses: 1. there exists a correlation between the level of altruism and the real self-image, 2. there exists a correlation between the level of altruism and the ideal self-image, 3. there exists a correlation between the level of altruism and self-acceptance. 112 persons have been tested (63.4% of women and 36.6% of men) aged 17-18 years.

The findings of the analyses are as follows: it turned out that out of 37 scales of the ACL significant differences between the group of high and low level of altruism were reported in 22 scales. Taking into consideration all empirical variables of the image under study, there 33 differences: 10 within the range of the real self-image, 17 concerned the ideal self-image and 6 at the level of self-acceptance. These data denote that there is a wide and many-sided connection between altruism of the persons under study and self-image.

In keeping with the hypotheses put forward in the paper one has to state that the findings have confirmed their rightness. First of all the first tow hypotheses have been clearly confirmed, the hypotheses which presuppose a connection between the level of altruism with the real and ideal self-image. It turned out, however, that the connection between altruism and the real self-image is different from the connection between altruism and the ideal self-image. In the case of adolescents the latter is functionally linked rather with the higher level of altruism. On the other hand, the real self-image may constitute a source of difficulties for the development of altruism, in the research it was apparently closer linked with the low level of altruism or with its lack.