Does Money Lead to Happiness? | The Science of Empathy

What does it mean to be charitable? Do we have to be charitable all the time? In this experiment, we hand over $50 to each participant but attached to each bill is a choice: Either the person decides to keep the money for themselves or donate it to a charity of their choosing. It feels good to give back but then again…$50 is $50.

If you were given $50, would you donate it or keep it? Give it to a good cause or put it toward those bills you stress about? Neither answer is right or wrong, but one could have a greater effect on your happiness.

Here is the study we based this experiment on:

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[GenevieveThornton]

I’m watching this while in line at Starbucks drive-thru, It’s inspired me to pay for the person’s coffee behind me. Never done this before! Lol, hope it’s not a huge order! Love SoulPancake!

[Ashantiko]

The issue here is that this video is not nuanced in regarding situations. One of the women pointed out she kept it to help save up for her daughters braces. Does that mean she is less happy?

When you donate to something it is for a cause to help others, but in some cases, you or your family may be the one who needs help.

[lazulianwater]

It's possible they didn't feel as good when keeping the money because they were guilted by the camera and the social pressure they felt around the situation. While I like soul pancake, I'm not a fan of how unscientific these studies are. I feel like it really detracts from the final message they are trying to show.

[featherman]

Could their increase in happiness (on camera) be connected to the fact that they are being recorded and they wanted to look good on camera?

[edwinbuddy]

wealth effect not accounted for, that $50 was not earned by them

[petster]

Keep the money, half the money goes yo the people who run the charity anyways. Volunteer for charity instead, it's priceless and full of experience. Your time is worth more than 50 bucks

[jaydevsinhsolanki]

Out of 50$ I will be donating 5$ and happiness is in sharing no matter it is little.

[InsightfulZen]

I like the message that is being portrayed here but it's not fully accurate. While being empathetic increases happiness, economic status is also linked with a person's level of happiness too, but wasn't controlled for. I sympathize with the people who kept the money because I probably would have in this moment, I'm flat broke right now and have bills to pay. I could use that money badly, and it's hard to justify giving if I can't even give to myself

[MrMaic]

So, here's $50, you can donate or keep, we won't know. 5 seconds later - did you donate or keep? Get tricked lol

[kateg]

More people donated here because of pressure to (simply by being given the option. If they’d just been given $50, far fewer would have donated it), but also because they didn’t feel the money was theirs. They hadn’t earned it, to they don’t have as strong an attachment.

[Klx]

I'm not a scientist, but I'm wondering how this experiment would have went if you guys had a group of people of the same social status, without huge loans of any sort do this experiment. I would be more curious to see the result of that.

[NiamhCreates]

I would easily choose to keep it. I'll donate on my own time, privately. It's the pressure of the situation that I don't like. I don't want to feel pressured to do the "right thing", I want to do that on my own.

[mariah_]

About a year ago I would have donated the money, but after learning more from friends in the social work field I see that giving of my time is more important; so I would keep the money then go volunteer.

[cdaooo]

If I had the choice, I would have donated $25 and kept the other $25 :)

[gauravdoulatani]

You need to get people who are in the same financial situation. Also people donated because it was just $50. Had it been more money (like around $500 or more) I don't think many people would donate.

[drdrogo]

to be honest i would take the money and then say i donated it

[ミライ-th]

Not part of the experiment but I played this game to see how accurate my 'first impression'/'ability to read people' is. So before hearing whether they decided to donate or keep I would guess who kept and who donated.
It was entertaining. Highly recommend :D

[noahhenderson]

What I liked was it seeeemed that those who kept it did it because they more needed it than wanted.

[KerriCz]

People who know they are being watched act differently than they would otherwise. So it's not really "scientific" at all... but I get the point.

[thethghostbuster]

Woah, $64 is a lot of money. I probably would have donated it because I would for definitely feel happier giving money to people who need it more than I do.