Moral psychology

So, I was writing a paper for my immigration class, and was up late, and very exhausted. To keep myself awake, I actually started answering some of the IMs I received (because I am really very hermitish, and also completely uninteresting and have nothing to say of any importance, so I have no idea WHY people actually talk to me, I usually don't talk online. Or on the phone. Or to other people in general). My best friend in Miami IMed me, and I mentioned my RoW psychology question, which is "Has anyone ever done any research to explain the occasional extraordinary human being who actually risks his/her life to save someone or to do something right in times of war?" History is replete with that one person who stood for something right when everyone around them went mad. Oskar Schindler, Hugh Thompson Jr. (that guy at My Lai that confronted marauding U.S. troops), etc. Why? When all the psychological research we've seen indicates that people are inherently vicious and prone to "othering", or at least have a tendency to blindly follow orders, why do these people refuse to participate? My best friend is getting her MA in psychology, so she seemed the person to talk to. I mentioned I've never heard of research explaining the heroic side of humanity, and she sent me the title of a book called The Hand of Compassion: Portraits of Moral Choice during the Holocaust. I'm not sure it answers the genuine psychological question, but it seems like a decent start for an answer to my question. Mindola, as I call my friend, also suggested checking Psycinfo. Mayhaps that's more effort than I'm willing to put forth at this *exact* moment. Since it's Saturday night, and all. Anyway, I thought that book sounded really interesting, and like some light beach reading. Because we all have nothing *else* to do. :)