Study Links Religious Faith and Acts of Charity

Religious beliefs and altruistic acts are strongly linked, according to a new study by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.

Researchers found that people who said they attend church weekly and participate in other religious activities reported an average of 128 “acts of kindness” a year, while those who said they never attend church reported an average of 96 acts of kindness.

The survey of 1,366 adults, conducted last year, defined 15 acts of kindness, including giving money to charity, giving up a seat to a stranger, lending money, and volunteering.

The connection between religion and altruism was strong across different religious groups, researchers said, perhaps because people are offered opportunities to perform charity work through their religious organizations.

While the study found a connection between religion and altruism, other traits typically associated with altruism did not seem to fare as well.

Those who said they socialize in group settings, are members of voluntary organizations, like sports clubs or political organizations, or support government spending on social-welfare programs were not more likely to be altruistic, according to the study’s author, Tom W. Smith, of the National Opinion Research Center.

The study found no correlation between altruism and locale, with small-town residents no more likely than those in big cities to perform acts of kindness.

Though men and women responded similarly in many other sections of the survey, the results suggest that women are more empathetic than men. According to researchers, 313 of the 684 women in the survey, or 45.8 percent, said they found other people’s misfortunes disturbing, compared with 172 of the 682 men, or 25.2 percent.

The survey was conducted with support from the Fetzer Institute, a private foundation in Kalamazoo, Mich., and the National Science Foundation.

The report, “Altruism in Contemporary America: a Report From the National Altruism Study,” is available online at http://www.src.uchicago.edu/prc.