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While in college, I took Social Psychology, aka “Cynicism 101: How to Lose Faith in Humanity in One Semester or Your Money Back.”  Experiments and historical events showed that people looked for any excuse to be jerks—playing prison guards, giving electric shocks, witnessing violent crimes and doing nothing, you name it. Even giving to charity had a multitude of sinister, ulterior motives. (“He donated because a hot girl told him to.” “She pledged so that people will think she’s a good person.”)

The recent crisis in Haiti caused some to question our charitable motives once again.  Are we really as good as we think we are? Many say no, and here’s why:

• Looking Out for #1 (and Maybe 2 & 3):

Apparently even pure altruism—giving without the promise of reward—has its roots in self-interest. The theory is that altruism evolved to bring families and communities closer together. According to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, 80% of charitable donations in America were to local programs and churches. The international aid portion, according to the Center, was 1%.

• Guilt and Self-Image

Everyone’s heard someone (usually their mother) say, “You’d better eat that—there are starving people in China.” Even though we’re no longer staring down that plate of Brussels sprouts, that kind of guilt still manages to motivate. One study showed that people who thought negatively about themselves were five times as likely to donate as those who thought positive.  Charitable contributions made them both feel good and look good.

• Sex Appeal

Frankly, it’s a little sad that this matters, but studies have shown that the better-looking the person who’s asking you to donate is, the more likely you’re going to donate. According to an experiment at the University of Chicago, when different methods of fundraising were tested for effectiveness, increasing the attractiveness of the woman asking for the donations caused them to increase between 50 and 135%. An actual quote from the experiment reads, “This result is largely driven by increased participation rates among households where a male answered the door."

Whether we do it for appreciation, guilt, or increasing our chances with the opposite sex, should our motivations really matter? If we’re giving to charity, should it matter if we’re doing it for selfless reasons versus because a hot guy or girl told us we’re bad people and our friends would hate us if we didn’t? Is why we give really as important as the fact that we’re giving to begin with? All I can say is that, in spite of all this, I still have faith in humanity, and I still want my money back, professor.