Half of the participants read an “agentic” appeal that characterized The Life You Can Save as an organization that spreads “knowledge of what each person can do individually to reduce poverty.” The other participants read a “communal” appeal that said the organization spreads “knowledge of what all of us can do together to reduce poverty.”Īfter reading one of these two appeals, participants were given the opportunity to click on a link labeled “Donate Today” that took them to a new webpage where they could make a donation. Participants then read one of two donation appeals. The survey asked participants to report their gender, age, ethnicity, and household income. Website visitors were asked to participate in a survey in exchange for a complimentary book, and a total of 185 (58% female) online visitors were successfully recruited for the study. The researchers’ first study examined the behavior of people who visited the website for The Life You Can Save, an organization that promotes charities dedicated to ending extreme poverty. Whether you behave selfishly or generously may depend less on what you have and more on whether a request for help fits with how you see yourself. In contrast, wealthier individuals are more likely to give money when presented with a request that appeals to their sense of independence and self-reliance. Across three studies, they found that people who earn less money are more likely to donate to charity when presented with a request that emphasizes social connection and community. When a donation request resonates strongly with our self-image, they argue, we are more likely to feel charitable. While some studies suggest that wealthier people are more likely to donate money, other studies do not.Ī recent paper by psychologists Ashley Whillans, Eugene Caruso, and Elizabeth Dunn suggests a potential new explanation as to what motivates people to give to charity. The research is also mixed on whether people with more money are more likely to give it away. For example, having a desire to give is often not enough: many people who express a strong intention to make charitable donations often fail to follow through on their intentions. What motivates people to give to charity? Surprisingly, the most obvious answers to this question have been difficult to prove.
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