Are Women More Generous? New Study Sheds Light on Donation Behavior

Based on a series of experiments, researchers conclude that women place more importance on being moral and that donations are not only driven by cause-worthiness, but also by the extent of overlap people see between themselves and the recipient of the donation.

Moral identity is the extent to which being moral, fair, and just is part of a person’s self-identity. Gender identity is how much a person focuses on communal goals, such as considering the welfare of others (feminine) versus “agentic” goals like assertiveness and control (masculine).

During experiments, researchers found that people with a feminine identity place a higher importance on being moral and gave equally to hurricane and tsunami victims. Those with a masculine identity gave more to Katrina victims than tsunami victims. These findings suggest that donors are driven by both cause-worthiness and the extent to which the donor can relate to the recipient.