Are we wired to help?

• Position: BEHAVIOUR - Brief article

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If you're a helpful person, you may think your parents deserve all the credit. But now some biologists think that humans may be born with a willingness to help. Michael Tomasello, an American psychologist, has found that when 18-month-old babies see an unrelated adult whose hands are full and who needs assistance picking up a dropped clothespin, they will immediately help. This behavior seems to be innate because it appears before many parents start teaching children good manners...