Reflections on Introducing Altruism to the Japanese High School Students

Abstract

This pilot study is to explore Japanese high school students' altruism. Altruistic individuals gain their own benefits when they help others. These individuals are healthier, happier and live longer. The Love Scale-Short Form (LSSF) and participant observation were used in this study. Twenty-three high school students and four elderly women participated. The LSSF responses of the students were compared with the responses of Japanese elderly women. The findings showed that the students saw value in an altruistic lifestyle. The students already reported serving their friends, family and community