The Power of Asking: How Communication Affects Selfishness, Empathy, and Altruism

27 Pages Posted: 20 Sep 2010 Last revised: 27 Sep 2024

See all articles by James Andreoni

James Andreoni

University of California, San Diego (UCSD)

Justin M. Rao

Microsoft Research; Microsoft Corporation - Microsoft Research - Redmond

Date Written: September 2010

Abstract

To understand the "pure" incentives of altruism, economic laboratory research on humans almost always forbids communication between subjects. In reality, however, altruism usually requires interaction between givers and receivers, which clearly must influence choices. Charities, for example, speak of the "power of asking." Indeed, evolutionary theories of altruism are built on human sociality. We experimentally examine communication in which one subject allocates $10 between herself and a receiver, and systematically altered who in the pair could speak. We found that any time the recipient spoke, giving increased - asking is powerful. But when only allocators could speak, choices were significantly more selfish than any other condition. When empathy was heightened by putting allocators "in the receivers shoes," altruism appeared as if recipients had been able to ask, even when they were silent. We conclude that communication dramatically influences altruistic behavior, and appears to largely work by heightening empathy.

Suggested Citation

Andreoni, James and Rao, Justin M., The Power of Asking: How Communication Affects Selfishness, Empathy, and Altruism (September 2010). NBER Working Paper No. w16373, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1678916

James Andreoni (Contact Author)

University of California, San Diego (UCSD) ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://econ.ucsd.edu/~jandreon/

Justin M. Rao

Microsoft Research ( email )

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Microsoft Corporation - Microsoft Research - Redmond ( email )

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Redmond, WA
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