As they get older, older people would become more generous, especially to strangers. Brain modifications would be involved.
With age, generosity wins us over. In any case, this is what a study published in the Journal of Gerontology. This work from the National University of Singapore shows that older people give more to strangers than younger people.
The Singaporean researchers explain that several studies have already shown that the elderly are quicker to become volunteers and to mobilize more for environmental or societal issues. An associative commitment that allows them to use their skills, but also to give meaning to their retirement.
More inclined to help strangers
But to believe these latest works, this altruism would not benefit the relatives of seniors. An observation drawn up after having interviewed 39 people aged on average 70 years and 39 volunteers of 23 years on average.
The researchers asked them to describe their family and friendships. They then asked them to determine an amount of money that they could give to their loved ones. As a result, all participants, regardless of their age, paid the same amount to their family or friends.
However, this test reveals that the elderly are more generous towards people who are not very close to them, or even totally unknown, than the young volunteers. The generosity of the latter diminished with distance.
Selflessness is good for your health
“In previous work, we found that administering oxytocin, known as the hormone of maternal love, increases altruism,” says Dr. Narun Pornpattananangkul, one of the authors. Here we observe the same results, as if the seniors had received oxytocin. We suppose that age-related neurobiological changes could explain this evolution of generosity ”.
An attitude that would not only be good for society, it would also be good for the health of seniors. Scientific literature tends to show that generous and altruistic people are in better physical and mental health than others. A sufficient argument to promote volunteering among our elders, say Singaporean researchers.
They are all the same preparing to continue their work to try to identify brain changes capable of explaining this evolution of generosity.
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