James Andreoni: UCSD

Giving to those in need is inherently a social act. First, altruistic giving requires empathy for, or perhaps simply awareness of, those who are needy. Second, giving nearly always involves a social interaction between the donor and someone seeking a donation. Third, those who are generous tend to be admired by others, and people care both about admiring and being admired. This presentation will discuss recent research in both the lab and the field on audience effects, the power of asking, the coercive nature of empathy over simple awareness, and how ethnic and religious diversity influences charitable giving.