Katya donated money to a religious charity in order to boost her own feelings of self-esteem. jennifer failed to contribute to the same charity because she was fearful of running out of money. differences in their altruistic behavior are best explained in terms of:

The correct answer is the social exchange theory.

The social exchange theory is psychological theory which claims that social behavior is simply an exchange process wherein individuals make decisions based on what maximizes benefits and lowers costs. Before making a social decision such as forming some type of relationship or alliance with others, individuals weigh the pros and cons and presumably decide on a course of action that maximizes gains while minimizing losses.