Hello my nerdy friends,
We’ve all seen those guilt-tripping charity ads on Facebook.
It made me think, is guilt really the best emotion to trigger to get more donations?
Let’s find out together.
The research:
Researchers ran four experiments where people saw charity ads written in two different frames.
The ads covered things like famine, child cancer, and refugees. One version used guilt and showed the negative consequences when people don’t help, the other showed the good outcomes when they do.
Participants could then actually donate part of their reward money to the cause. After seeing each, people rated how they felt about the ad, and how much they wanted to give (Erlandsson et al., 2018).
🧪What they found:
Predictably, people liked the positive ads more. They said they felt better about the organization and less angry after reading them.
But…
…the negative ads brought in more money.
In the famine example, the guilt-heavy version made people give about 45% more than the positive one.
Why?
Our brains hate uncomfortable feelings like guilt. Donating feels like closing a mental “open loop.” That’s why guilt makes people act now, so they can get rid of the uncomfortable faster.
Positive charity ads don’t create an open loop and may make it look like the problem is already solved, so it doesn’t motivate people to act now.
Caveat
When guilt ads feel manipulative, people trust the charity less (Hibbert et al., 2007).
Psychology research also shows that seeing too many sad or guilt-based messages over time can cause compassion fatigue, people start feeling numb and give less (Cameron & Payne, 2011; Slovic, 2007).
Takeaway
Use guilt when you need people to donate now.
But don’t rely on guilt all the time if you run a charity. If you want people to keep giving, mix in some positive emotions that make people feel proud or hopeful.
🎄Happy holidays friends,
Ksenia, the chief nerd
P.S. if you’re in the spirit of giving this season, I wanted to share an amazing charity. So many kids from low-income families don’t get to experience the joy and magical feeling of getting Christmas gifts. With our help, Globe Santa will gift toys and books to kids this December, so no child is left without a Christmas gift🎁
