Why You Screen Phone Solicitations
December 1, 2011
According to a recent National Public Radio report, the science of charitable giving reveals some counter-intuitive and curious results.
For example, did you know that people are more likely to give to a single suffering person than to a suffering population of people? Or that the appeal of contributing to a charity marathon is that the person is willing to undergo physical hardship to earn the donation?
Perhaps the most psychologically-revealing findings in this report come from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Psychologist Dr. Tahila Kogut finds that people tend to screen phone solicitations out of self-protection.
Here’s the thinking behind it. If a cancer charity calls, people feel better screening the call rather than saying “no” outright. They feel that if they say no, the probability that they’ll get cancer increases.
Conversely Dr. Kogut, who studies “protective donation,” finds that when people donate to a cause [such as cancer research] they feel a decreased sense of vulnerability.
Listen to the story and read the transcript on NPR.org >>
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
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James Fattal, J Cubed Communications
516.289.1496
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