Boylu_Yaşaroğlu Examining the Relationship Between University Students' Altruism Levels and Empathic Tendency and Self-Esteem

Abstract

Altruism is prosocial behavior that refers to helping others without expecting anything in return. While empathic tendency is defined as the potential to understand others' feelings and thoughts, self-esteem refers to individuals' positive or negative self-evaluations. This study aims to examine the relationship between university students' altruism levels and their empathic tendency and self-esteem. Data were collected from 333 students studying in the Psychology and Social Work Departments of a university. Personal Information Form, Altruism Scale, Empathic Tendency Scale, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were used as data collection tools. Spearman correlation analysis, Mann Whitney U test, and Kruskal Wallis test were used for data analysis. The results revealed a positive correlation between altruism level and empathic tendency, and a negative correlation between altruism level and self-esteem. Gender differences were found in empathic tendency levels. However, significant differences were found in altruism levels based on students' gender and department of study.