Introduction 1

Homo empathicus:Dissecting the ‘warm

glow’ of prosocial behavior

2014 Van der Gaag Symposium

24 June 2014

Introduction 2

Program10.30. Welcome 11.00. Marco van Leeuwen: Giving in the Golden Age11.45. Paul van Lange: Trust: the key to prosocial behavior12.30. Lunch13.30. Sara Konrath: Genes, hormones and prosociality14.15. Joan Grusec: Prosocial behavior from a domains-of-

socialization perspective15.00. Tea/coffee15.30. Jorg Massen: Evolution of pro-sociality16.15. Discussion18.30 Dinner at Restaurant ‘In de Waag’

Introduction 3

What motivates prosocial behavior?

Introduction to the symposium

René Bekkers (VU Amsterdam)

Introduction 4

Pure altruism Impure altruism

Introduction 5

Introduction 6

7Introduction

8

Wall Street is an early example ofDutch philanthropy

Introduction

9

“Stuyvesant called upon the 43 richest residents of New Amsterdam to provide funding to fix up the ailing Fort Amsterdam and to construct a stockade across the island to prevent attacks from the north, while it took New Amsterdam's most oppressed inhabitants -- slave labor from the Dutch West India Company -- to actually build the wall.”

Russell Shorto – The Island at the Center of the WorldIntroduction

10

The Rijksmuseum (1885)

Introduction

11

The concert hall (1886)

Introduction

12

Prosocial behavior

Formal: philanthro

py Mone

y Time

Informal: helping

Social suppo

rtCare

Introduction

13

Charity

Introduction

14

φιλανθρωπια

Introduction

Introduction 15

Too many research questions

Which elements make people glow warmer when they give? Which of these ingredients burns up fastest? Where does the ‘joy of giving’ come from? How are different motivations connected to different sorts of prosocial behavior? How are motivations for prosocial behavior contingent upon historical events? What do empirical regularities in current manifestations of prosocial behavior among humans and other species tell us about the evolutionary origins of prosociality? What implications do various motivations have for public policy and the production and organization of public goods in practice?

Introduction 16

What is the

‘Warm Glow’?

Introduction 17

Why do people give?People give more (often) when1. There is a clear need need2. They are being asked solicitation3. Costs are lower, and benefits are higher

costs/benefits4. They care about the recipients altruism5. They receive social benefits reputation6. They receive psychological benefits self-rewards7. The cause matches their values values8. Donations are perceived to be efficient efficacySource: Bekkers, R. & Wiepking, P. (2011). ‘A Literature Review of Empirical Studies

of Philanthropy: Eight Mechanisms that Drive Charitable Giving’. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 40(5): 924-973. Available at www.understandingphilanthropy.com

Introduction 18

Why do people give?People give more (often) when1. There is a clear need need2. They are being asked solicitation3. Costs are lower, benefits are higher costs/benefits4. They care about the recipients altruism5. They receive social benefits reputation6. They receive psychological benefits self-rewards7. The cause matches their values values8. Donations are perceived as efficient efficacy

AND HERE

HERE IS THE WARM GLOW

Introduction 19

Attention to altruism

before 1970

1970-1979

1980-1989

1990-1999

after 2000

020406080

100120140160180

efficacyvaluesself-rewardsreputationaltruismcosts/benefitssolicitationneed

Mechanisms studied in articles covered by the 2011 literature review of philanthropy

Introduction 20

Attention to altruism

before 1970

1970-1979

1980-1989

1990-1999

after 2000

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

0

3

7 12 21

efficacyvaluesself-rewardsreputationaltruismcosts/benefitssolicitationneed

Number of articles relative to total per decade

21

Who’s watching?

base0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

7460 61

1924 18

7 17 18

donated 0 donated 5

% d

onat

ing

Introduction

Choices of 302 high school students participating in a dictator game with charities as recipients in a nationwide survey experiment (Spring 2009)

Introduction 22

The power of suggestion

Amounts donated by 6,672 Utrecht University alumni in April-May 2008

Introduction 23

A price is not a price

control group 50% rebate: price = 0,50

100% match: price = 0,50

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Proportion of reward donated in a dictator game with charities as recipients by 518 GINPS04 respondents (Source: Bekkers, 2006)

+46%

+90%

Introduction 24

The remaining program11.00. Marco van Leeuwen: Giving in the Golden Age11.45. Paul van Lange: Trust: the key to prosocial

behavior12.30. Lunch13.30. Sara Konrath: Genes, hormones and prosociality14.15. Joan Grusec: Prosocial behavior from a domains-

of-socialization perspective15.00. Tea/coffee15.30. Jorg Massen: Evolution of pro-sociality16.15. Discussion18.30 Dinner at Restaurant ‘In de Waag’

Introduction 25

Group discussion• How do you see the field of research

on prosocial behavior in other disciplines?

• What do you take home from today?

Introduction 26

Distinctions we have heard• One concept: prosocial• Two altruism parameters, pure and

impure• Three groups of determinants (11 in

total)• The four Why’s (Tinbergen)• Five domains of socialization• Eight mechanisms in giving

Introduction 27

Too many research questions

Which elements make people glow warmer when they give?

Which of these ingredients burns up fastest?

Where does the ‘joy of giving’ come from?

How are different motivations connected to different sorts of prosocial behavior?

Introduction 28

Too many research questions

How are motivations for prosocial behavior contingent upon historical events?

What do empirical regularities in current manifestations of prosocial behavior among humans and other species tell us about the evolutionary origins of prosociality?

What implications do various motivations have for public policy and the production and organization of public goods in practice?