Effectiveness info: deliberation
Present some analytical information about the efficiency or effectiveness of a charity; get potential donors to consider this carefully
Alternative tool name:
Tool variation:
Category: Info/communications
Sub-category: Info
Relevant theories: Public goods, Optimization, Impact, Warm glow - sophisticated, Dual systems (system 2)
Type of evidence: Field-exp-charity
Evidence strength (ad hoc assessment): 5
Main findings
Getting people to consider donation effectiveness has little/weak impact on giving. Karlan and Wood (2017): adding scientific impact info (including some quantitative information; and removing emotional stimulus in part) had a small/insignificant net effect: increased gifts from large prior donors, reduced gifts from small prior donors. Other work (Small et al, '07, study 3) finds that information decreases giving (to an identified victim)… by decreasing emotional response: (study 4): priming analytic thinking (vs feeling-based) reduced giving to identifiable victims.
Discussion
Practical relevance
Effective charities could present their (e.g., lifesaving) statistics *relative* to average/popular charities (but be careful about demonizing particular ones)
Use cases
Prevalence:
Discussion