Prosocial Spending and Well-being:
Cross-Cultural Evidence for a
Psychological Universal
Lara Aknin, Chris Barrington-Leigh, Elizabeth Dunn,
John Helliwell, Justine Burns, Robert Biswas-Diener,
Imelda Kemeza, Paul Nyende, Claire Ashton-James,
Michael Norton
99% Pledge
“Couldn’t be happier with
that decision”
“The dollars [they] drop in
the collection plate or give
to United Way mean
forgone movies, dinners
out, or other personal
pleasures”
Previous Research
• Spending money on others - prosocial
spending- leads to higher levels of happiness
(Dunn, Aknin & Norton, 2008)
– Correlational
– Experimental
Talk Outline
• Are the emotional benefits of prosocial
spending universal?
• Emotional benefits of prosocial behavior
detectable in young children?
Limited to North America?
• Original data from North America
• Challenges to universality?
– Correlation b/w income and happiness varies with
country income (Deaton, 2008; Diener & Biswas-Diener, 2002)
– N. American represents thin slice (Henrich, Heine, &
Norenzayan, 2010; Sears, 1986)
• Fundamental to human nature?
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Examining Universality
• Apply Norenzayan and Heine’s (2005)
recommendations:
– Cross cultural survey
– Experimental study in diverse cultural contexts
Examining the Gallup World Poll
• 234,000+ participants from 136 countries
sampled during 2006-2008 Gallup World Poll
• Donated to charity in the last month (yes/no)
• Reported well-being
Prosocial Spending
Well-being
Relationship positive in 120 of 136 countries while controlling
for income and additional control variables
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Examining the Gallup World Poll
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Examining the Gallup World Poll
• Global estimate (b = .27, p < .03), controlling for
income and other demographics
• Significant in all 7 geo-political world regions
• Substantial variability but consistent support
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Recollection Study: Canada & Uganda
Canada
Uganda
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Recollection Study: Canada & Uganda
• 820 people from Canada and Uganda
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–
–
–
Students in rural Uganda (n = 105)
Students from urban Uganda (n = 382)
Community sample in Uganda (n = 193)
Canadian students (n = 140)
• Recall spending
– Canada ($20) or Uganda (10,000 Ush)
– Self or someone else
• Report happiness
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Spending Examples
Personal
Uganda: The last time I spent
10,000 Ush on myself, I bought
a skirt.
Canada: I was at the mall just
looking around and I bought 2
bottles of nail polish.
Prosocial
Uganda: Last month, I gave
money to a friend of
approximately 12,000 Ush to
buy medication for his aching
ulcers. I voluntarily bought the
drugs for him.
Canada: I spent $20 for 2 dozen
red roses from Costco for my
mother's birthday on Dec 4th.
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Recollection Study: Canada & Uganda
Happiness
(z-score
score w/in country)
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Personal
-0.1
Prosocial
-0.2
-0.3
Main effect of prosocial spending, p < .01
-0.4
Canada
Uganda
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Recollection Study: Canada & Uganda
• 4 Canadian and 1 Ugandan coder
• Coded social relationship outcomes
• Main effect of condition remains sig.
Controlling for coder ratings
Recollection Study: Canada & Uganda
• Participants in Canada and Uganda assigned to
recall a time they spent on others report higher
happiness
• Strengths:
– Direct support for causal claim
• Replication and extension:
– Another relatively poor country
– Is personal spending decreasing happiness?
– Self reports of building and strengthening relations
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Recollection Study: India
• 101 people from India
• Assigned to recall
– Personal spending memory
– Prosocial spending memory
– No spending memory (control condition)
• Report happiness
• Build/strengthen social relationship
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Recollection Study: India
Positive Affect
4.5
4
Personal
Control
Prosocial
3.5
p< .005
3
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Recollection Study: India
Positive Affect
4.5
Spending on
others makes
people happier
4
Personal
Control
Prosocial
3.5
p< .005
3
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Recollection Study: India
• Strengths:
– Replicates and extends previous findings in
another relatively poor nation
• Causal evidence
• Prosocial spending leads to higher happiness
• Limitations:
– Focus on spending memories
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Goody Bag Study: Canada & South Africa
• 207 students (86 UBC, 121 U Cape Town)
• Baseline happiness
• Additional study payment $2.50 (20 Rand)
– Buy goody bag valued at $3 (25 Rand)
– Self (personal) vs. sick child at hospital (prosocial)
• Report happiness after
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Goody Bag Study: Canada & South Africa
• Ruling out social relationships
– Lab delivered gift to sick child no contact with
recipient
– Researchers and fellow Ps were unaware of
spending condition no social praise
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Goody Bag Study: Canada & South Africa
Happiness
(z-score
score w/in country)
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Personal
-0.1
Prosocial
-0.2
-0.3
-0.4
Sig main effect of spending condition F(1,192) = 10.25, p < .005
Canada
S. Africa
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Goody Bag Study: Canada & South Africa
• Prosocial spending leads to happiness in poor (S.
Africa) and rich (Canada) nations, even with no
praise or contact with beneficiary
• Strengths:
– Captures immediate emotional reward
– Controls for social relationship building
Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, Dunn, Helliwell, et al., 2013
Talk Outline
• Are the emotional benefits of prosocial
spending universal?
• Gallup World Poll
• 2 Recollection studies (Canada, Uganda, &
India)
• Goody Bag Study
• Emotional benefits of prosocial behavior
detectable in young children?
Talk Outline
• Are the emotional benefits of prosocial
spending universal?
• Emotional benefits of prosocial behavior
detectable in young children?
Fundamental Feature?
•Human adults around the world experience
happiness from sharing resources with others
When do humans pair good deeds with
good feelings?
Toddler Study
• Supporting evidence
– Early cooperative and
prosocial behavior in
human infants
(Warneken & Tomasello, 2006; 2008; Zahn-Waxler et al., 1992)
– Sometimes costly (Warneken & Tomasello, 2008)
• Why?
– Evolved to find prosocial behaviour rewarding
• If so, emotional benefits before substantial
learning and socialization
Aknin, Hamlin, & Dunn, 2012, PLoS One
Toddler Study
• 20 toddlers (22-24 months) came into lab with
parent and:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Meet puppet (touch, pet, interact)
Child given 8 treats
OBSERVE PROSOCIAL ACT: Child watch E’s give treat to puppet*
NON- COSTLY PROSOCIAL ACT: Child gives one of E’s treats to
puppet*
e) COSTLY PROSOCIAL ACT: Child gives own treat to puppet*
* counterbalanced
Aknin, Hamlin, & Dunn, 2012, PLoS One
Toddler Study
Aknin, Hamlin, & Dunn, 2012, PLoS One
Toddler Study
• Emotional reactions videotaped
• Coded for happiness on 7-point scale
• 2 coders (avg. alpha = .84)
• Were children happier giving treats than
receiving treats?
• Differ based on whether treats belong to
oneself or other resource pool?
Aknin, Hamlin, & Dunn, 2012, PLoS One
Toddler Study
Happiness as rated by coders
A
6
5.5
Non-costly giving
led to higher happiness than
receiving treats
p = .03
5
4.5
4
A
B
C
D
E
Observe
giving
Non-costly
giving
Costly giving
3.5
3
Meet puppet Child receives
8 treats
Aknin, Hamlin, & Dunn, 2012, PLoS One
Toddler Study
Happiness as rated by coders
A
6
5.5
Costly giving
led to higher happiness than
receiving treats
p < .01
5
4.5
4
A
B
C
D
E
Observe
giving
Non-costly
giving
Costly giving
3.5
3
Meet puppet Child receives
8 treats
Aknin, Hamlin, & Dunn, 2012, PLoS One
Toddler Study
Happiness as rated by coders
A
6
5.5
Giving own treat
led to higher happiness than
giving found treat
p = .05
5
4.5
4
A
B
C
D
E
Observe
giving
Non-costly
giving
Costly giving
3.5
3
Meet puppet Child receives
8 treats
Aknin, Hamlin, & Dunn, 2012, PLoS One
Summary of Toddler Study
• Emotional benefits of (costly) prosocial
behavior in the early years of life
• First evidence that giving makes young
children happy
Aknin, Hamlin, & Dunn, 2012, PLoS One
Talk Outline
• Are the emotional benefits of prosocial
spending universal?
• Emotional benefits of prosocial behavior
detectable in young children?
• Toddler Study
Conclusions
• Generous spending leads to happiness around
the world
– Gallup World Poll
– Recollection Studies in Canada, Uganda, and India
– Goody bag study in Canada and S. Africa
• Early emergence
– Toddler Study
Conclusion
• Prosocial spending leads to happiness
– Around the world
– Hedonic rewards of prosocial behavior emerge
early
• Mounting support for the emotional benefits
of prosocial behavior
• Happier spending choices
Thank You!
Thank You!
• Collaborators
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–
–
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Liz Dunn, UBC (Social Psychology)
Mike Norton, Harvard Business School (Marketing)
Kiley Hamlin, UBC (Developmental Psychology)
Chris Barrington-Leigh, McGill University (Economics)
John Helliwell, UBC (Economics)
Justine Burns, University of Capetown
Claire Ashton James, Gronigen University (Social Psychology)
Robert Biswas-Diener, Positive Acorn
Paul Nyende, Mbarara Institute (Uganda)
Imelda Kemeza, Makerere University (Uganda)