Development of a Cross Generational Measure of Altruism

A self-report measure designed to assess altruism across the life span was developed and evaluated. Participants in the design phase of the study included 76 adults ages 18 to 25, 57 fifth grade students, and 65 second grade students. Participants in the confirmation phase of the study were 34 adults ages 18 to 25, 18 fifth grade students, and 14 second grade students. A positive significant correlation was found between the life span measure of altruism and a corroborative measure for the fifth graders. A significant correlation between life span. measure of altruism and a corroborative measure was not found for the second graders. Despite a significant positive correlation between the measure and a corroborative measure for the adult subjects in the design phase of the study, during the confirmation phase the results were not significant. Possible reasons for the disparity in results between these two phases for the adults, (e.g. sampling error, gender effects, fatigue, etc.) are discussed. Possible explanations for the lack of significance for the second grade results, such as second graders' lack of ability to accurately assess their own behavior, also are presented. Low sample sizes in the present study were felt to adversely affect the ability of the CGAS to study altruism, thus the need for future research utilizing the CGAS and sample sizes of approximately one hundred or more in order to perform item analyses, establish norms and investigate life span changes is recommended.