Psychological Wellness and Altruism: How Early‐Life Risks Shape Adult Preferences
研究发现，童年期心理健康风险每增加一个标准差，成年后建立王朝的意愿和慷慨程度会下降0.28%到2.32%，表明早期心理风险会促使个体更倾向于自利而非利他选择。
ABSTRACT Theoretical concerns suggest that psychological wellness risks experienced during one period can influence endogenous preferences in subsequent periods. This study examines the relationship between childhood psychological wellness risk and altruistic attitudes in adulthood. We find that a one standard deviation increase in the likelihood of experiencing childhood psychological distress predicts a 0.28% to 2.32% decrease (in standard deviation terms) in the desire for dynasty‐building and generosity during adulthood. Additionally, we find evidence for the altruism‐habit formation hypothesis. We suggest that experiencing psychological wellness risk leads to more self‐interest–oriented choices rather than altruism‐oriented preferences later in life. These results remain robust across multiple robustness analyses.