Editing Social capital (section)

=== Social capital motives ===
Robison and colleagues (2012) measured the relative importance of selfishness and four social capital motives using resource allocation data collected in hypothetical surveys and non-hypothetical experiments.<ref name=":9">{{cite journal|last1=Robison|first1=Lindon J.|last2=Shupp|first2=Robert S.|last3=Jin|first3=Songqing|last4=Siles|first4=Marcelo E.|last5=Ferrarini|first5=Tawni H.|year=2012|title=The relative importance of selfishness and social capital motives|journal=The Journal of Socio-Economics|volume=41|pages=118–127|doi=10.1016/j.socec.2011.10.008}}</ref>

The '''selfishness motive''' assumes that an agent's allocation of a scarce resource is independent of his relationships with others. This motive is sometimes referred to as the ''selfishness of preference assumption'' in [[neoclassical economics]].

'''Social capital motives''' assume that agents' allocation of a scarce resource may be influenced by their social capital or sympathetic relationships with others which may produce socio-emotional goods that satisfy socio-emotional needs for validation and belonging:<ref name=":9" />

# The first social capital motive seeks for validation by acting consistently with the values of one's [[ideal self]].
# The second social capital motive seeks to be validated by others by winning their [[Social approval|approval]].
# The third social capital motive seeks to [[Belongingness|belong]]. Recognizing that one may not be able to influence the sympathy of others, persons seeking to belong may act to increase their own sympathy for others and the organizations or institutions they represent.
# The fourth social capital motive recognizes that our sympathy or social capital for another person will motivate us to act in their interest. In doing so we satisfy our own needs for validation and belonging. Empirical results reject the hypothesis often implied in economics that we are 95% selfish.