Abstract
The current study uses big data to study prosocial behavior by analyzing donations made on the GoFundMe platform. In a dataset of more than $44 million in online donations, we find that 21% were made while opting to be anonymous to the public, with survey results indicating that 11% of these anonymous donations (2.3% of all donations) are not attributable to any egoistic goal. Additionally, we find that donors gave significantly more to recipients who had the same last name as them. We find evidence that men and women donated more when more donors of the opposite sex were visible on the screen at the time of donating. Our results suggest that men and women were both significantly affected by the average donation amounts visible at the time of their decisions, and men were influenced more. We find that women expressed significantly more empathy than men in messages accompanying their donations.
Highlights
The current study uses big data to study prosocial behavior by analyzing donations made on the GoFundMe platform
To generate our research questions, we first familiarized ourselves with the publicly available data on the GoFundMe platform, and surveyed the literature on prosocial behavior to identify hypotheses based on past findings and theories that could be evaluated with the current dataset
The current study analyzed contributions made on the GoFundMe platform to examine psychological hypotheses related to charitable giving
Summary
The current study uses big data to study prosocial behavior by analyzing donations made on the GoFundMe platform. We analyze a unique dataset generated on the online crowdfunding platform GoFundMe and provide novel evidence on several existing hypotheses and lines of research about prosocial behavior. To generate our research questions, we first familiarized ourselves with the publicly available data on the GoFundMe platform, and surveyed the literature on prosocial behavior to identify hypotheses based on past findings and theories that could be evaluated with the current dataset. At the time of each donation, each campaign page showed potential donors the past ten donation amounts along with the names of the last ten donors and public messages left by them if any This allows for analyses regarding the influence of the visible presence of the gender composition of past donors, as well as the effects of social comparison on donations. By analyzing all of the abovementioned information about each charitable decision, we were able to contribute substantially to several lines of research related to prosociality, described
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
