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Who Gives? On Empathy and Impulsiveness

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  • Andreoni, James
  • Koessler, Ann-Kathrin
  • Serra-Garcia, Marta

Abstract

We investigate the impact of empathy and impulsiveness on charitable giving using a real donation experiment. We confirm that greater empathy predicts greater charitable giving. Contrary to recent literature, however, we find a significant negative relationship between impulsiveness and donation behavior. Specifically, when financial resources are scarce, donations are more often made by decision-makers who are able to suppress an intuitively egoistic response.

Suggested Citation

  • Andreoni, James & Koessler, Ann-Kathrin & Serra-Garcia, Marta, 2017. "Who Gives? On Empathy and Impulsiveness," EconStor Preprints 194100, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:esprep:194100
    Note: Copyright statement: Please note this is a pre-review version of the article Who Gives? - The Roles of Empathy and Impulsiveness published in Scharf, Kimberley, and Mirco Tonin (eds.), The Economics of Philanthropy: Donations and Fundraising, pp. 49-62. © 2018 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, courtesy of the MIT Press. http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/economics-philanthropy
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    References listed on IDEAS

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