New Brain Mapping

Brain imaging and mapping technologies are becoming more mainstream and many researchers are trying to figure out why we do some of the things we do.

By using these technologies, Duke University researchers discovered that activity in a certain region of the brain can predict altruistic or selfish behaviors as described at the following site: Biological Psychology Links

These researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging and found the scans revealed that a part of the brain called the posterior superior temporal sulcus was activated to a greater degree when people perceived an action, rather than when they acted themselves. In other words, brain activity was greater when subjects watched the computer play the game rather than playing it themselves.

Researchers believe that this altruistic behavior may originate from how people view the world rather than from how they act in it.

Although we strive to find answers to why some individuals are intrinsically more altruistic, kind, loving, or generous, we still cannot answer this with just knowing what area of the brain is activated.

Scientists can hypothesize, but the question still remains;
Is this area of the brain activated because the individual is more altruistic or is the individual more altruistic because this area of the brain is more active?

It is back to the chicken and egg hypothesis. Depending on your worldview, this can be a difficult question to answer. For others, it is very simple and straightforward.