The Happiness of Giving: The Time-Ask Effect

Liu, Wendy; Aaker, Jennifer

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The Happiness of Giving: The Time-Ask Effect

Journal of Consumer Research, 2008

15 Pages Posted: 14 Jan 2008 Last revised: 23 Jan 2011

See all articles by Wendy Liu

Wendy Liu

University of California, San Diego (UCSD) - Rady School of Management

Jennifer Aaker

Stanford University - Graduate School of Business

There are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: January 20, 2011

Abstract

This research examines how a focus on time versus money can lead to two distinct mindsets that impact consumers' willingness to donate to charitable causes. The results of three experiments, conducted both in the lab and in the field, reveal that asking individuals to think about "how much time they would like to donate" (versus "how much money they would like to donate") to a charity increases the amount that they ultimately donate to the charity. Fueling this effect are differential mindsets activated by time versus money. Implications for the research on time, money and emotional well-being are discussed.

Keywords: time, money, happiness

JEL Classification: M3

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Liu, Wendy and Aaker, Jennifer Lynn, The Happiness of Giving: The Time-Ask Effect (January 20, 2011). Journal of Consumer Research, 2008, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1081732