Is altruism a natural part of human DNA?

Superfreakonomics dedicated a chapter to this question, and citing research conducted by John List they concluded that ‘true’ altruistic acts are in fact a rare occurrence (click to read an excerpt from that chapter). Most acts of apparent altruism are in fact humans responding to rational or emotional incentives.

Rather than focus on this finding, I want to jump straight to the implications for organizations relying on apparent altruism, namely charities, but also brands that utilize societal marketing.

Case Study: Movember

A hugely successful charity initiative – men grow a moustache for the month of November and in doing so raise money for prostate cancer and depression charities. Do participants sign up out of true altruism? I don’t think so. It is about being recognized as a part of a community – and the fact that you grow a moustache means you are instantly recognized as a ‘do gooder’. Movember also provide additional ‘badges’ of recognition – you have your own online profile, after you raise $50 you receive a card with special offers and the list goes on.

Case Study: Green Bags

Everyone has one, or ten lying around the house. The concept that someone would pay more for a bag based purely on the fact that it is better for the environment is nice to believe. But what if the environmental bag looked identical and had the same durability of the traditional plastic bag; would people pay more for it? Probably not, biodegradable bags were around for a long time, but didn’t have the same success as green bags. Yes, people could argue that green bags are more durable, but why not use a backpack? The success of the green bag again lies in the recognition people get when they walk around with their green bag. It’s about the emotional ‘feel good’ factor – “I’m doing my part” and showing that off to the world.

Lessons:
• Give donors a means to promote their participation and be recognized

• Create a community around the cause

There is also financial incentive behind apparent altruism – you get a tax break – and in countries with higher tax breaks, the higher the charitable donations.

Lesson:

• Promote tax breaks in charity communications

One final finding from Superfreakonomics – research showed that children were more likely to visit parents in a nursing home if there was a large inheritance and to add to this single children were the least likely to visit parents in a nursing home.