Psychological value theory: A computational cognitive model of charitable giving

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Behavioral Economics
• Computational Social Science

Background:

• Charitable giving is a complex decision involving resource expenditure without direct personal return.
• Numerous psychological factors influence charitable donations, yet a unifying computational model is lacking.
• Existing models do not fully capture the cognitive processes behind donation decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a unifying computational model of charitable choice based on Psychological Value Theory (PVT).
• To assess whether perceived psychological value of the recipient drives charitable giving decisions.
• To compare the predictive accuracy of PVT against models based on competence and warmth.

Main Methods:

• Developed a computational model grounded in Psychological Value Theory (PVT).
• Conducted five experiments to test the model's predictions regarding charitable giving.
• Simultaneously predicted response choice and response time to assess cognitive processes.
• Compared PVT's predictive power against an alternative model focusing on competence and warmth.

Main Results:

• PVT accurately predicted both the choice of charity and the decision to donate.
• The model demonstrated high accuracy in predicting response choice and response time across experiments.
• PVT outperformed a model based on competence and warmth in predicting charitable giving.
• In-group preference influences giving by altering psychological values, not by causing response bias.

Conclusions:

• Psychological Value Theory provides a robust computational framework for understanding charitable donations.
• The perceived psychological value of recipients is a key driver of charitable giving decisions.
• PVT offers a unified approach to integrating various known influences on charitable behavior.