Our desire to give back wanes rapidly with time
When you give, you expect others to return the favor. However, reciprocity has a a very narrow window and will quickly disappear, leading to lost opportunity.
Chuan, Kessler & Milkman (2018). Field study of charitable giving reveals that reciprocity decays over time. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study
18,515 patients who had been admitted to a university hospital were subsequently mailed a request to donate to the hospital charity.
The researchers found that requests delayed by about 30 days after each patient’s visit reduced the donation rate by 30%, falling ever further as the delay increased.
Chuan, Kessler & Milkman (2018). Field study of charitable giving reveals that reciprocity decays over time. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Key Takeaways
Timing is everything.
There is a ‘goldilocks’ window of time within which kind acts will most likely be reciprocated:
• Not too quick: diners asked to review their experience when paying the bill should instead be prompted the next day and not at the table.
• And not too slow: try recalling a meal you had 3 months ago…
A small delay? Ask for less.
If you've waited too long for a reciprocal favor in return, make it easier. Provide a subtle reference to your past act of kindness, but instead of asking for a donation, ask for a share, perhaps combining with a Reward.
A large delay? Start afresh.
Life goes on and we quickly forget others' kindness, so for extreme delays, expect no response. Instead, create a Fresh Start with an easy re-entry to reciprocity: a new seasonal menu tasting invite for a restaurant, for instance. After the event, follow up with your request. It will likely be granted, such is our internal desire to rebalance things.
In further detail
Our desire to give back wanes rapidly with time
When you give, you expect others to return the favor. However, reciprocity has a a very narrow window and will quickly disappear, leading to lost opportunity.
Chuan, Kessler & Milkman (2018). Field study of charitable giving reveals that reciprocity decays over time. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study
18,515 patients who had been admitted to a university hospital were subsequently mailed a request to donate to the hospital charity.
The researchers found that requests delayed by about 30 days after each patient’s visit reduced the donation rate by 30%, falling ever further as the delay increased.
Chuan, Kessler & Milkman (2018). Field study of charitable giving reveals that reciprocity decays over time. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Key Takeaways
Timing is everything.
There is a ‘goldilocks’ window of time within which kind acts will most likely be reciprocated:
• Not too quick: diners asked to review their experience when paying the bill should instead be prompted the next day and not at the table.
• And not too slow: try recalling a meal you had 3 months ago…
A small delay? Ask for less.
If you've waited too long for a reciprocal favor in return, make it easier. Provide a subtle reference to your past act of kindness, but instead of asking for a donation, ask for a share, perhaps combining with a Reward.
A large delay? Start afresh.
Life goes on and we quickly forget others' kindness, so for extreme delays, expect no response. Instead, create a Fresh Start with an easy re-entry to reciprocity: a new seasonal menu tasting invite for a restaurant, for instance. After the event, follow up with your request. It will likely be granted, such is our internal desire to rebalance things.
In further detail
Our desire to give back wanes rapidly with time
The study
18,515 patients who had been admitted to a university hospital were subsequently mailed a request to donate to the hospital charity.
The researchers found that requests delayed by about 30 days after each patient’s visit reduced the donation rate by 30%, falling ever further as the delay increased.
In detail
Scarcity
We value things more when they’re in limited supply
Social Proof
We copy the behaviors of others, especially in unfamiliar situations
Prospect Theory
A loss hurts more than an equal gain feels good
Reciprocity
We’re hardwired to return kindness received
Framing
We make very different decisions based on how a fact is presented
Loss Aversion
We feel more negative when losing something than positive when we gain it
Self-Expression
We constantly seek out ways to communicate our identity to others
Default Effect
We tend to accept the option pre-chosen for us
Anchoring
What we see first affects our judgement of everything thereafter
Autonomy Bias
We have a deep-seated need to control our situations
Fast & Slow Thinking
We make knee-jerk spontaneous decisions that can cause regretful damage
Status Quo Bias
We tend to stick with our previous choices, even if the alternatives might be better
Dynamic Norms
We’re more likely to change if we can see a new behavior developing
Salience
Our choices are determined by the information we're shown