Hey Look at Me: The Effect of Giving Circles on Giving / Dean Karlan, Margaret A. McConnell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Karlan, Dean.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

McConnell, Margaret A.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w17737.

NBER working paper series no. w17737

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2012.

Summary:

Theories abound for why individuals give to charity. We conduct a field experiment with donors to a Yale University service club to test the impact of a promise of public recognition on giving. Some may claim that they respond to an offer of public recognition not to improve their social standing, but rather to motivate others to give. To tease apart these two theories, we conduct a laboratory experiment with undergraduates, and find no evidence to support the alternative, altruistic motivation. We conclude that charitable gifts increase in response to the promise of public recognition primarily because of individuals' desire to improve their social image.

Notes:

Print version record

January 2012.