Human nature is defined as the concept that denotes the fundamental dispositions and characteristics humans have naturally —which includes ways of thinking, feeling, and acting. So, are humans naturally good? Or naturally evil? People have been asking this question for thousands of years. We’ve all been curious about the psychology of human behavior and whether humans are inherently good or bad. To give you more insights, let’s look at some of the secret facts about human nature and decide for yourself!
Writer: Tristan Reed
Script Manager: Kelly Soong
VO: Amanda Silvera
Animator: Clarisse Lim Xingyi
YouTube Manager: Cindy Cheong
References:
Lamm, C. & Majdandzic, J. (2015) The role of shared neural activations, mirror neurons, and morality in empathy – A critical comment. Neuroscience Research, 90, 15-24.
Dacey, J.S., Travers, J. (2006). Human Development Across the Lifespan: Sixth Edition. McGraw Hill: Boston.
Winerman, L. (2005). The mind’s mirror. Monitor on Psychology: American Psychological Association, 36 (9), p. 48.
Schulz, K., Rudolph, A., Tscharaktschiew, N., & Rudolph, U. (2013). Daniel has fallen into a muddy puddle—Schadenfreude or sympathy? British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 31(4), 363–378
Lord, C. G., Ross, L., & Lepper, M. R. (1979). Biased assimilation and attitude polarization: The effects of prior theories on subsequently considered evidence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37(11), 2098–2109.
Valdesolo, P. & DeSteno, D. (2008) The duality of virtue: Deconstructing the moral hypocrite, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 44(5): 1334-1338.
Have a story or video request you would like to share with us? Email us at editorial@psych2go.net