New research shows how altruism benefits students through social networks
The new research paper "Prosocial environments promote individual success: evidence from a school network panel study" authored by Isabel J. Raabe, Alexander Ehlert, René Algesheimer, and Heiko Rauhut explores the benefits of altruism.
The study examines 292 Swiss students over five months and reveals that altruism doesn't directly improve academic success—but it does so indirectly through social connections. Researchers found that altruistic students are more likely to become embedded in prosocial networks where peers support each other with homework and friendship. This social embeddedness, rather than altruistic tendencies alone, predicts better school grades. The findings provide real-world evidence that individual costs of helping others can be offset by collective benefits gained through supportive social environments, confirming key predictions from evolutionary cooperation theory.
Read the full article:
Isabel J Raabe, Alexander Ehlert, René Algesheimer, Heiko Rauhut, Prosocial environments promote individual success: evidence from a school network panel study, European Sociological Review, 2025;, jcaf056, https://doi.org/10.1093/esr/jcaf056