Geschichte | Geographie | Wirtschaft | Gesellschaft
Vivien Bachmann, 2007 | Basel, BS
This study examines how taking risks on behalf of others and altruistic traits shape financial risk-taking. Prior research suggests that people may take more risks when decisions affect others rather than themselves, but it remains unclear whether this also applies when risky choices are made on behalf of a socially meaningful beneficiary such as a charity.
An online survey was conducted where participants were randomly assigned to either an egocentric condition, in which potential gains could be kept for themselves, or a prosocial condition, in which gains would go to a charity of their choice. The results show that participants took significantly more risks for themselves than for a charity. Altruism moderated behavior only in the prosocial lottery condition, where more altruistic participants took greater risks, while no such relationship appeared in the egocentric condition. In addition, altruistic participants in the prosocial condition focused more strongly on potential gains than losses. The study contributes to research on framing, altruism, and decision-making under risk.
Introduction
This project examines whether people take risks differently when decisions affect themselves versus a charity, and whether this depends on how altruistic they are. More specifically, it asks whether prosocial framing changes financial risk-taking and whether altruistic individuals respond more strongly to such framing. The study also explores whether these effects depend on the type of risk task used.
Methods
An online survey was conducted with participants who were randomly assigned to one of two framing conditions: an egocentric condition, in which possible gains could be kept for themselves, and a prosocial condition, in which gains would go to a charity of their choice. The survey was created using Qualtrics and was distributed by the market research agency Bilendi.
Risk-taking was measured with three methods: a self-assessment question on financial risk-taking, a lottery task, and the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Altruism was measured using the Self-Report Altruism Scale. Additional survey questions covered age, gender, and household financial situation. The data was analyzed using t-tests and Pearson correlations. The participant compensation was financed through a small school-related project budget.
Results
A total of 221 responses were included in the final analysis. The main result is that participants took less risk when the decision affected a charity than when it affected themselves. In the lottery task, participants in the egocentric condition invested an average of 554 coins, compared with 407 coins in the prosocial condition (p < .001). In the BART, no significant difference was found, showing that the framing effect did not appear in every task. Another central finding is that altruism mattered specifically in the prosocial condition. More altruistic participants were more willing to take risks when the decision was for a charity, and they also focused more strongly on possible gains than on possible losses. This suggests that a good cause can make people more cautious overall, but that strongly altruistic individuals react differently: when a decision serves a prosocial purpose, they become more optimistic and therefore more willing to take risks.
Discussion
In the lottery task, participants took less risk when the outcome affected a charity than when it affected themselves. This suggests that a socially meaningful beneficiary can increase perceived responsibility and lead to more cautious decisions. At the same time, altruism became relevant specifically in the prosocial condition: altruistic individuals seemed to view the same risky option more positively when its outcome could benefit others.
Conclusions
This study contributes to the literature by showing that risk-taking is shaped not only by individual characteristics or by the framing of the task, but also by the social meaning of the beneficiary. Practical implications could be drawn for donation campaigns, charitable fundraising, and other prosocial decision environments. The findings suggest that socially meaningful settings should not assume that a good cause automatically makes people more willing to take risks. Instead, prosocial contexts may require designs that protect the core contribution while offering optional risk-based elements for those who are especially motivated by the cause.
Würdigung durch die Expertin
Dr. Céline Bolliger
Die Maturaarbeit von Vivien Bachmann untersucht den Einfluss von Framing und Altruismus auf risikobezogenes Entscheidungsverhalten. Eine empirische Studie mit über 800 Teilnehmenden liefert wertvolle Erkenntnisse. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Risikoverhalten stark vom sozialen Kontext abhängt: Menschen handeln vorsichtiger, wenn sie für andere entscheiden, und altruistische Motive können dies je nach Situation verstärken oder abschwächen. Die Arbeit gibt Impulse für ökonomische Entscheidungsprozesse und deren praktische Anwendung.
Prädikat:
Bronze
Gymnasium Kirschgarten, Basel
Lehrer: Attila Kapas