People More Motivated to Give When They See Others Volunteering Abroad

AUSTIN, Texas — People are more inspired to give when they see others contributing their time and money to a good cause outside their home state, according to a new psychology study from The University of Texas at Austin. The study, led by Marlone Henderson , assistant professor of psychology, will be published in the January issue of Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. In a series of experiments, Henderson and his team of researchers examined how physical and social distance affects people's willingness to participate in philanthropy. Respondents were more motivated to give to a cause, he found, when they learned of others assisting people in need outside of their homeland. Henderson said these findings imply that civic groups, nonprofits and charitable organizations will be more successful at recruiting volunteers and donors by exposing them to others who are giving to causes that serve other cultures in foreign countries. "Most of the time people volunteer or give to a charity to which they have a connection," Henderson said. "So when they learn about people who are going against the norm by giving back to people in foreign countries, that really stands out and motivates them to take action." Watch a video of Henderson discussing the many factors that motivate people to give.