Affective forecasting and scope sensitivity of warm glow - Comparisons between joint and separate evaluations

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Economics
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Prosocial behavior is influenced by emotional responses.
• Warm glow (WG) is a key motivator for charitable giving.
• Understanding the gap between anticipated and experienced emotions is crucial for behavioral interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the discrepancies between anticipated and experienced warm glow (WG).
• To examine scope sensitivity in charitable giving across different evaluation conditions.
• To explore how the number of beneficiaries affects both emotional responses and donation behavior.

Main Methods:

• A large-scale online experiment (N=1500) employed a mixed 2x2x2 factorial design.
• Participants were randomized to conditions manipulating affective response (anticipated vs. experienced), evaluation type (separate vs. joint), and beneficiary scope (1 vs. 6 children).
• Two types of joint evaluations were utilized: choice and simultaneous.

Main Results:

• An impact bias was observed, with participants overestimating their future WG.
• Scope insensitivity was prevalent in separate evaluations and simultaneous joint evaluations, where donation and WG levels were similar for one or six children.
• Scope sensitivity emerged in choice-based joint evaluations, leading to increased donations and WG for a larger number of children.

Conclusions:

• Participants accurately anticipate their own scope insensitivity in certain conditions.
• Findings highlight the psychological mechanisms influencing prosocial behavior, particularly the role of WG and evaluation context.
• Understanding these biases can inform strategies to promote more effective and empathetic prosocial behavior.