Yin Ge1, Fang Hong2, Yu Miaojie3

  Accepted, August, 2023

  1Yin Ge: National Development Research Institute of Peking University

  2Fang Hong: School of Economics and Management, Beihang University

  3Yu Miaojie: Liaoning University

  Abstract:

  Altruistic behavior is common, and it is valuable with regard to utility. Research on altruistic

behavior is not only academically important, but also serves to policy making. This paper surveys the resear-

ches on altruistic motives, and both theoretical and empirical ones on altruistic behavior in recent years. In

terms of motivation, behavioral economists directly use the subjects' social networks in real life to explore

people's altruistic motives ，and have made important findings，such as distinguishing between baseline altruism

and directed altruism，distinguishing between directed altruism and reciprocity. In theory, research based on

social networks breaks the limitations of simple models and find new results, which alter our understanding of

altruistic behavior quite deeply. Empirically, scholars have done a lot of analysis on altruistic behavior in

terms of charitable donations, public goods provision, social norms, and people who are altruistic.

  Key words:altruistic; social networks; charitable donations; public goods; social norm