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An evolutionary explanation for ineffective altruism.

Bethany Burum¹, Martin A Nowak², Moshe Hoffman³

¹Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. bethanyburum@gmail.com.

Nature Human Behaviour

|October 13, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

People donate billions but often ineffectively. Evolutionary game theory suggests donors evolved to ignore efficacy because social rewards favor observable actions, not impact. This research explores why giving isn't always effective.

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Area of Science:

Behavioral Economics
Evolutionary Psychology
Philanthropy Studies

Background:

Individuals donate substantial sums annually, yet a significant portion of this charitable giving lacks effectiveness.
A discrepancy exists between the motivation to donate and the drive to ensure that donations are impactful.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate why charitable giving is often ineffective, despite strong motivations to donate.
To test the hypothesis that evolutionary pressures favor insensitivity to efficacy in donors due to the social rewards linked to observable behaviors.

Main Methods:

Utilized evolutionary game theory to frame the research question.
Conducted five experiments to test predictions derived from the theoretical account.
Compared donor sensitivity to efficacy under different conditions, including self-benefit and familial benefit.

Main Results:

Donors demonstrated increased sensitivity to efficacy when donations directly benefited themselves or their families.
Social rewarders were found to not condition rewards based on efficacy or other unobservable behaviors, such as donation amounts.

Conclusions:

The findings support the evolutionary game theory account, suggesting that insensitivity to efficacy in charitable giving is an evolved trait.
Social dynamics and the observability of actions, rather than cognitive or emotional limitations, appear to be key drivers of ineffective giving patterns.