Younger generation more selfish and less willing to help others than older people

Younger generations are more selfish and less willing to help others compared to older people, a Birmingham University study has found.

Older adults are more likely to put in more effort even when there is no benefit to them, while youthful peers only go the extra mile when they are rewarded themselves, according to researchers.

The University of Birmingham study is the first to demonstrate 'prosocial' kindness requiring effort, rather than time or money, changes with age.

Senior author Dr Matthew Apps said: "Our results showed very clearly participants in our older age group were more likely to work harder for others, even though they would gain no significant financial reward for themselves."

Almost 200 individuals took part in the experiments - around half of whom were 55 to 85 and the others 18 to 36.

Each individual made 150 decisions about gripping a dynamometer - a device for measuring force - with six available levels.

Their maximum ability was measured beforehand to ensure the tests were the same for everyone - and not affected by how strong they were.

First, participants were asked if they would be prepared to try to win money. For each choice, they were told whether it would be for themselves - or another person.

If they accepted the offer, they had to grip hard enough to get the prize. When the task was easy, younger and older adults alike were equally ready to work for others. But as it got harder, the latter group became more inclined.

In contrast, the former were more selfish. They were more likely to put in higher extra effort to benefit themselves.

There was also a correlation between the willingness to put effort into tasks that benefited other people and positive feelings towards them. But it was only in younger people that this 'warm glow' feeling also related to them completing tasks for themselves.

Dr Apps explained: "Past research had suggested older adults were more prosocial than young adults because they donate more money to charity.

"But, the amount of money or time people have available changes a lot as we get older, as such older adults might just appear more prosocial.

"We wanted to focus simply on people's willingness to exert effort on behalf of someone else, as this shouldn't depend on your wealth or the time you have available."

Previous research has shown older adults contribute more to the common good through charitable donations or volunteering.

But the latest findings reveals it can also be applied physically. The results were published in Psychological Science.