Prosocial spending and well-Being: Cross-cultural evidence for a psychological universal

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dc.creatorAknin, Lara
dc.creatorBarrington-Leigh, Christopher
dc.creatorDunn, Elizabeth
dc.creatorHelliwell, John
dc.creatorBiswas-Diener, Robert
dc.creatorKemeza, Imelda
dc.creatorNyende, Paul
dc.creatorAshton-James, Clare
dc.creatorNorton, Michael
dc.creatorBurns, Justine
dc.date2014-06-25T10:00:28Z
dc.date2014-06-25T10:00:28Z
dc.date2013
dc.date.accessioned2015-05-28T10:06:42Z
dc.date.available2015-05-28T10:06:42Z
dc.date.issued2015-05-28
dc.descriptionThis research provides the first support for a possible psychological universal: Human beings around the world derive emotional benefits from using their financial resources to help others (prosocial spending). In Study 1, survey data from 136 countries were examined and showed that prosocial spending is associated with greater happiness around the world, in poor and rich countries alike. To test for causality, in Studies 2a and 2b, we used experimental methodology, demonstrating that recalling a past instance of prosocial spending has a causal impact on happiness across countries that differ greatly in terms of wealth (Canada, Uganda, and India). Finally, in Study 3, participants in Canada and South Africa randomly assigned to buy items for charity reported higher levels of positive affect than participants assigned to buy the same items for themselves, even when this prosocial spending did not provide an opportunity to build or strengthen social ties. Our findings suggest that the reward experienced from helping others may be deeply ingrained in human nature, emerging in diverse cultural and economic contexts.
dc.identifierAknin, L. B., Barrington-Leigh, C. P., Dunn, E. W., Helliwell, J. F., Burns, J., Biswas-Diener, R., Kemeza, I., Nyende, P., Ashton-James, C. E., & Norton, M. I. (2013). Prosocial spending and well-being: Cross-cultural evidence for a psychological universal, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(4): 635-652.
dc.identifierhttps://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/psp-104-4-635.pdf
dc.identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/11090/738
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article DA - 2015-05-28 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Prosocial spending KW - Happiness KW - Psychological universal KW - Prosocial behaviour KW - Well-being LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2015 T1 - Prosocial spending and well-Being: Cross-cultural evidence for a psychological universal TI - Prosocial spending and well-Being: Cross-cultural evidence for a psychological universal UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11090/738 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11090/738
dc.languageen
dc.publisherJournal of Personality and Social Psychology
dc.publisher.departmentSALDRUen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Commerceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subjectProsocial spending
dc.subjectHappiness
dc.subjectPsychological universal
dc.subjectProsocial behaviour
dc.subjectWell-being
dc.titleProsocial spending and well-Being: Cross-cultural evidence for a psychological universal
dc.typeJournal Article
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceArticleen_ZA
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