Psychological Selfishness

Selfishness is central to many theories of human morality, yet its psychological nature remains largely overlooked. Psychologists often draw on classical conceptions of selfishness from evolutionary biology (i.e., selfish gene theory), economics (i.e., rational self-interest), and philosophy (i.e., psychological egoism), but such characterizations offer limited insight into the psychology of selfishness. To address this gap, we propose a novel framework in which selfishness is recast as a psychological construction. From this view, selfishness is perceived in ourselves and others when we detect a situation-specific desire to benefit the self that disregards others' desires and prevailing social expectations for the situation. We argue that detecting and deterring such psychological selfishness in both oneself and others is crucial in social life-facilitating the maintenance of social cohesion and close relationships. In addition, we show how using this psychological framework offers a richer understanding of the nature of human social behavior. Delineating a psychological construct of selfishness can promote coherence in interdisciplinary research on selfishness and provide insights for interventions to prevent or remediate the negative effects of selfishness.

Automated summary

Selfishness is a central concept in theories of human morality, but its psychological nature is often overlooked. This study proposes a new framework that reconceptualizes selfishness as a psychological construct. It argues that detecting and deterring selfish behavior is crucial for maintaining social cohesion and close relationships, and offers a richer understanding of human social behavior. This psychological construct of selfishness can facilitate interdisciplinary research and provide insights for interventions to prevent or address the negative effects of selfishness.