As we approach the giving season, it’s interesting to think about what drives people’s decisions to give. What resonates? What makes them feel good?
A study from NPR describes how our feelings battle one another when making the decision to give. When the volunteers in the study were presented with a story of a little girl suffering from starvation they gave twice as much as the volunteers who were presented with the same story, but were also told about millions of other people who were starving.
The psychologist who led the study found the volunteers lost their emotional connection to the little girl when they started thinking about all of the other people in need. The hopeless feeling of not being able to help the millions of other people overpowered their good feeling of being able to help the one little girl.
Overall, the research suggests people need to hear how they can make a difference and perhaps less of the bigger problem.
How do you make a difference? Share with us on Facebook!
