This study examines the existence of the paradigm of the human being as an egoistic individual, within the empirical plane. The possibility of variation of the degree of altruism in people’s behavior is explored according to their careers. For this analysis, we have applied experimental economics in students of the last year of their education, in Business Administration, Economics, Medicine and Sociology; all of them within a similar socioeconomic position.Other researchers have found evidence that the professional careers have, to a certain extent, some influence on the altruistic behavior. In this context, we have found that the economists would be the professional group that presents less altruistic behavior within our sample.On the other hand, by the elaboration of this study, we pretend to analyse if the gender differences are a determining factor in the degree of altruism; never...

This study examines the existence of the paradigm of the human being as an egoistic individual, within the empirical plane. The possibility of variation of the degree of altruism in people’s behavior is explored according to their careers. For this analysis, we have applied experimental economics in students of the last year of their education, in Business Administration, Economics, Medicine and Sociology; all of them within a similar socioeconomic position. Other researchers have found evidence that the professional careers have, to a certain extent, some influence on the altruistic behavior. In this context, we have found that the economists would be the professional group that presents less altruistic behavior within our sample. On the other hand, by the elaboration of this study, we pretend to analyse if the gender differences are a determining factor in the degree of altruism; nev...