Narcissism and Self- Versus Recipient-Oriented Imagery in Charitable Giving

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Behavioral Economics

Background:

• High-narcissism individuals are often characterized by self-centeredness and a lack of empathy.
• Understanding motivations for charitable behavior in diverse personality types is crucial for effective fundraising.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify charitable appeal types that can elicit empathic responses and other-centered behaviors from individuals with high narcissism.
• To investigate the psychological mechanisms underlying charitable giving in high-narcissism individuals.

Main Methods:

• Four experimental studies were conducted to compare the effectiveness of different charitable appeal strategies.
• Participants' narcissism levels were assessed, and their charitable intentions were measured in response to "imagine-self" vs. "imagine-recipient" appeals.
• Mediation analyses explored the roles of self-focused imagination and empathy.

Main Results:

• Donors higher in narcissism demonstrated greater charitable intentions when exposed to "imagine-self" appeals compared to "imagine-recipient" appeals.
• The positive effect of "imagine-self" appeals diminished when self-projection was difficult (e.g., with animal recipients or gender-specific ailments).
• Self-focused imagination and empathy were identified as key mediators in this process.

Conclusions:

• Charitable appeals framed to encourage self-projection ("imagine-self") can effectively increase empathy and charitable giving among high-narcissism individuals.
• The effectiveness of these appeals is contingent on the feasibility of self-imagination.
• Findings offer insights into tailoring persuasive strategies for specific personality profiles to promote prosocial behavior.