Choosing your object of benevolence: a field experiment on donation options

Arbeitspapier

In a large natural field experiment, we explore the effect of providing donors with the opportunity to choose the target country for their donations. We find that only a small fraction of donors use the option, which might reflect a reluctance to consider tradeoffs when those concern important, 'protected', values. However, those donors who choose their object of benevolence give significantly more, even when controlling for their donation history. In view of the latest research on identifable-victim effects, our findings underline that less inclusive targets can evoke more intense feelings than more inclusive ones stressing that altruistic motivation seems to be mediated by aroused empathetic emotions.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: ZEW Discussion Papers ; No. 10-016

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers ; Field Experiments
• Subject: charitable giving ; identifiable victim ; field experiment ; altruism ; contingent valuation ; Spende ; Länderimage ; Verhaltensökonomik ; Feldforschung ; Deutschland

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Aretz, Bodo ; Kube, Sebastian
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW)
• (where): Mannheim
• (when): 2010

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/30201
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET