Gender and generosity

How contribution information triggers solidarity behavior during a crisis

authored by: Thong Q. Ho, Linh T.P. Nguyen, Ulrike Grote, Dil B. Rahut, Tetsushi Sonobe, Thanh T. Nguyen
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how important solidarity and prosocial behavior are in society. However, it is not well understood how solidarity behavior can be encouraged in such extreme cases. This study investigates the effect of activating crisis concerns and contribution information on solidarity perception and behavior using an experimental survey of 1,259 respondents in 2022 from Vietnam. Our findings reveal that (i) there exists a perception-actual behavior gap as the available information is not able to promote solidarity behavior, (ii) activating concerns about the impact of a crisis, i.e., COVID-19, does not trigger prosocial perception and behavior, (iii) contribution information improves solidarity perception, and (iv) females tend to donate more than their male counterparts. When aiming to promote solidarity behavior, it is important to be aware of the prosocial perception-behavior gap, and consider different strategies for males and females, including paying more attention to evoking moral emotions in women.
Organisation(s): Institute of Environmental Economics and World Trade
External Organisation(s): Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI)
Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City
University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH University)
Type: Article
Journal: Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics
Volume: 112
No. of pages: 9
ISSN: 2214-8043
Publication date: 10.2024
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Applied Psychology, Economics and Econometrics, General Social Sciences
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socec.2024.102275 (Access: Open)

BibTeX

@article{3e22def4c42f44bfad6c99d0fc560f93,
title = "Gender and generosity: How contribution information triggers solidarity behavior during a crisis",
abstract = "The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how important solidarity and prosocial behavior are in society. However, it is not well understood how solidarity behavior can be encouraged in such extreme cases. This study investigates the effect of activating crisis concerns and contribution information on solidarity perception and behavior using an experimental survey of 1,259 respondents in 2022 from Vietnam. Our findings reveal that (i) there exists a perception-actual behavior gap as the available information is not able to promote solidarity behavior, (ii) activating concerns about the impact of a crisis, i.e., COVID-19, does not trigger prosocial perception and behavior, (iii) contribution information improves solidarity perception, and (iv) females tend to donate more than their male counterparts. When aiming to promote solidarity behavior, it is important to be aware of the prosocial perception-behavior gap, and consider different strategies for males and females, including paying more attention to evoking moral emotions in women.",
keywords = "COVID-19, crisis, Gender, Solidarity behavior, Solidarity perception",
author = "Ho, {Thong Q.} and Nguyen, {Linh T.P.} and Ulrike Grote and Rahut, {Dil B.} and Tetsushi Sonobe and Nguyen, {Thanh T.}",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 The Author(s)",
year = "2024",
month = oct,
doi = "10.1016/j.socec.2024.102275",
language = "English",
volume = "112",
journal = "Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics",
issn = "2214-8043",
publisher = "Elsevier Inc.",
}