Concordance of Organ Donation and Other Altruistic Behaviors Among Twins.

Introduction: Organ donation and other altruistic behaviors may be influenced by multiple factors, such as demographic characteristics, religious beliefs, and social norms.

Research Question: What is the role of genetic factors on altruism in identical and fraternal twin pairs?

Design: Twins attending a twin festival (N = 296) completed an organ donation and altruistic behavior survey.

Results: Concordance for stage of change for organ donation was 65% among identical twin pairs versus 33% among fraternal twin pairs ( = .004). Concordance was higher among identical versus fraternal twin pairs for several altruistic behaviors, including giving directions to a stranger (63% vs 24%, < .001), giving money to a stranger (51% vs 29%, = .048), donating goods to charity (46% vs 16%, = .005), and offering a seat on the bus (46% vs 24%, = .04).

Discussion: We conclude that genetic factors may play a role in decisions about organ donation and other altruistic behaviors.