E4. Doing Good for Nothing: Motive Inferences from the Probabilistic Profits of Prosociality

• In Event: Working Paper Session & Reception
  In Working Paper Session: Pod E: Charitable Giving/Prosocial Behavior

Short Abstract

We explore how the probability of profiting from prosocial behavior impacts perceived motive. Eight studies (N=3,557) demonstrate that agents whose prosocial actions may return large rewards but may also return nothing are evaluated more positively than those whose prosocial actions yield, small certain rewards of equal expected value.

Authors

• Ike Silver, University of Pennsylvania, USA

• Jackie Silverman, University of Pennsylvania, USA