The findings, published in the journal Emotion, provide new insight into the psychological factors that motivate charitable giving.
"Our research suggests that the decision to give to charity is not simply a matter of weighing the costs and benefits of the donation," said study co-author Abigail Leunig, a PhD candidate in psychology at Washington University. "Rather, our emotional state also plays a significant role."
In a series of experiments, Leunig and her colleagues found that people who were induced to feel happy were more likely to donate money to charity, even when they were not expecting to receive anything in return.
For example, in one experiment, participants were asked to watch a funny video clip or a neutral video clip. After watching the video, participants were given the opportunity to donate money to a charity. Those who had watched the funny video were more likely to donate money than those who had watched the neutral video.
The researchers also found that the amount of money people donated was influenced by their emotional state. People who were feeling happy tended to donate more money than those who were feeling sad or angry.
"Our findings suggest that charitable giving may be a way for people to regulate their emotions," said study co-author Kathleen Vohs, a professor of marketing at the University of Minnesota. "When people are feeling good, they may be more likely to donate to charity as a way to express their positive emotions and connect with others."
The researchers say their findings have implications for understanding the psychology of charitable giving and for designing effective fundraising campaigns.
"If you want to encourage people to donate to charity, you should try to make them feel good," said Vohs. "This could be done by using positive imagery, music, or stories in your fundraising materials."
