TY - JOUR
T1 - Avoiding the ask
T2 - A field experiment on altruism, empathy, and charitable giving
AU - Andreoni, James
AU - Rao, Justin M.
AU - Trachtman, Hannah
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - If people enjoy giving, then why do they avoid fund-raisers? Partnering with the Salvation Army at Christmastime, we conducted a randomized field experiment placing bell ringers at one or both main entrances to a supermarket, making it easy or difficult to avoid the ask. Additionally, bell ringers either were silent or said “please give.” Making avoidance difficult increased both the rate of giving and donations. Paradoxically, the verbal ask dramatically increased giving but also led to dramatic avoidance. We argue that this illustrates sophisticated awareness of the empathy-altruism link: people avoid empathic stimulation to regulate their giving and guilt.
AB - If people enjoy giving, then why do they avoid fund-raisers? Partnering with the Salvation Army at Christmastime, we conducted a randomized field experiment placing bell ringers at one or both main entrances to a supermarket, making it easy or difficult to avoid the ask. Additionally, bell ringers either were silent or said “please give.” Making avoidance difficult increased both the rate of giving and donations. Paradoxically, the verbal ask dramatically increased giving but also led to dramatic avoidance. We argue that this illustrates sophisticated awareness of the empathy-altruism link: people avoid empathic stimulation to regulate their giving and guilt.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85019959789&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1086/691703
DO - 10.1086/691703
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AN - SCOPUS:85019959789
SN - 0022-3808
VL - 125
SP - 625
EP - 653
JO - Journal of Political Economy
JF - Journal of Political Economy
IS - 3
ER -