DATE: September 05, 2024 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

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TITLE: People who pledge 10% of their income to charity are more morally expansive and open-minded

URL: psypost.org/people-who-pledge-…

According to a new study, people who have taken the Giving What We Can (GWWC) pledge to donate at least 10% of their income to charity display distinct cognitive and personality traits. This research was published in the Journal of Personality.

Altruism has been a central focus of social science research, particularly the study of individuals whose moral concern for others far exceeds that of the typical population. These extraordinary altruists, who often make significant personal sacrifices to help others, challenge traditional evolutionary theories of altruism, which suggest that helping behaviors are motivated by potential future benefits or kin relationships. In this context, understanding the motivations and characteristics of those who pledge to donate a substantial portion of their income to charity provides valuable insights into the nature of altruistic behavior.

GWWC is an organization that encourages individuals to commit to donating at least 10% of their income to charity throughout their lives. Matti Wilks and colleagues sought to identify the cognitive and personality traits that distinguish these extraordinary altruists from the general population.

This research involved 536 participants from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands, divided into two groups: 294 GWWC pledgers and 240 individuals from a country-matched control group. The researchers recruited 536 participants, including 294 GWWC pledgers and 240 individuals from a country-matched control group.

The control group was carefully selected to match the demographics of the GWWC pledgers, ensuring comparable groups in terms of country of residence. Participants completed a survey designed to measure a variety of cognitive and personality traits, including tasks to assess emotion recognition, specifically focusing on the ability to identify fearful facial expressions using images from the Radboud Faces Database.

Participants completed self-report questionnaires to measure moral expansiveness (the extent to which individuals extend moral concern to a broad range of entities), empathy and compassion levels, social dominance orientation (preference for hierarchical social structures), and maximizing tendencies (the pursuit of optimal outcomes). The survey also assessed actively open-minded thinking (willingness to revise beliefs based on new evidence), need for cognition (preference for engaging in complex thinking), and utilitarianism (the extent to which participants endorse principles that prioritize the greater good).

The study revealed several key differences between individuals who have taken the GWWC pledge and those in the control group. GWWC pledgers were significantly better at recognizing fearful facial expressions, a trait linked to heightened sensitivity to others’ emotional states and prosocial behavior. They also scored higher in moral expansiveness, indicating a broader scope of moral concern that extends beyond immediate social circles to include animals, plants, and the environment.

GWWC pledgers exhibited higher levels of actively open-minded thinking, demonstrating a greater willingness to consider different perspectives and revise their beliefs in light of new evidence. They also showed a stronger need for cognition, reflecting a preference for engaging in complex and thoughtful decision-making processes.

Contrary to the researchers’ expectations, GWWC pledgers scored lower on maximizing tendencies, suggesting that their altruistic behavior may be driven more by adherence to principles rather than a constant pursuit of optimal personal outcomes.

Overall, the results highlight that GWWC pledgers are characterized by a unique combination of cognitive traits that emphasize rational decision-making and a broad moral concern for others.

One limitation is that the study did not include measures of income or socioeconomic status, which may also play a role in explaining the differences observed.

The study, “Who gives? Characteristics of those who have taken the Giving What We Can pledge”, was authored by Matti Wilks, Jessica McCurdy, and Paul Bloom.

URL: psypost.org/people-who-pledge-…

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As soon as Sorna reached the waterbody near the Lalarchak border in Kulaura, she became terrified upon seeing the BSF (Border Security Force) and cried out, "Don't kill us, take us under the law." Instead of receiving a reply, her chest was pierced by a BSF bullet. Seeing the gun aimed at her, Sorna turned around. The bullet entered through the right side of her chest and exited the other side. At that moment, Sorna said, "Mother, let go of my hand, I won't survive anymore. Save your life." Sorna's brother Pintu Das shared these heart-wrenching details with Manabzamin (a news outlet) through tears, after hearing the story from his mother when she regained consciousness.

The village of Kalnigor in Juri Upazila is now engulfed in mourning. This once peaceful locality is shattered by grief. Sorna Das, a young girl from this village, has passed away, falling victim to the bullets of the BSF while trying to cross the border. Her family, including her father Parendra Das and mother Sanjita Rani Das, are in deep shock, fainting repeatedly from the tragedy. Sorna was the youngest of three brothers and two sisters. She was bright in her studies and a lively presence at her school. Her classmates are devastated by the premature loss. Sorna, an 8th-grade student at Nirod Bihari High School, had set out on Sunday night, September 1st, with her mother to cross the Lalarchak border in Sharifpur Union of Kulaura. Their destination was her maternal uncle’s house in Shanichhara village of Tripura. One of Sorna’s brothers had been living with their uncle Kartik Das’s family for a long time, and Sorna had longed to see her brother and visit her uncle’s home.

Sorna's father, Parendra Das, said that on Sunday morning, her mother and Sorna left home intending to go to India. By Monday morning, they had not yet arrived at their uncle’s house. After much searching, they managed to rescue Sorna’s mother from Shamshernagar with the help of a military officer. Later that Monday afternoon, the family was informed of Sorna's death through the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

Sorna’s mother, Sanjita Rani Das, recounted that they had fallen into the hands of traffickers near the border, who, along with another family from Chittagong, tried to push them into India. As they approached the border, the sound of gunfire rang out, and she collapsed to the ground. Her daughter’s body was riddled with bullets from the heartless BSF. After saying this, Sanjita Rani Das fainted again.

Local ward member of West Juri UP (Union Parishad), Madan Mohan Das, said, "She was a very gentle and well-mannered girl, admired throughout the village." Acting chairman of West Juri UP, Sirajul Islam, expressed, "Who gave them the right to shoot and kill? We do not support border killings. How many more bodies like Felani's will fall at the border? If India considers us a friend, they must stop this."

Sorna's classmates, Susmita, Purba, Banya, and Sipa, shared that she was good in her studies and active in sports. She was the life of the class. They wondered why the forces of a friendly country were so ruthless, their hearts not trembling even once as they fired.

Forty-five hours later, on Tuesday evening, Sorna’s body was handed over through the Chatlapur checkpoint by the BSF. Her last rites were performed on Wednesday.

#StepDownHasina #SaveBangladeshiStudents #BangladeshBleeding #SaveTheStudents #SaveDemocracy #HumanRights #UN #USA #Bangladesh #India #Pakistan #IndiaOut #Murder #Border #BSF #Hindu #Muslim