CHFA | Psychology Department Showcase: Projects In-Process
Lending a Paw: Does the Presence of a Dog Increase Donations Given to Homeless Individuals?
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Graduate
Major
Experimental Psychology
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Jana Hackathorn, PhD.
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
Prosocial behavior, any behavior that results in the benefit of another individual, is considered altruistic if motivated by the desire to help others without the expectation of a reward or self gain (Lay & Hoppmann, 2015). This study seeks to investigate potential influences on the altruistic behavior of donating to the homeless. With a rise in both homelessness and dog ownership, this project seeks to investigate how the presence of a dog may impact both the willingness to donate and monetary amount donated to a homeless individual. This study also seeks to investigate any potential sex differences in this altruistic giving. It is hypothesized that (H1) there will be a significant difference in the amount and likelihood of donation when the homeless individual has a dog, (H2) more women will donation to the homeless individual, (H3) men will give more costly donations, (H4) overall the homeless woman will receive a great amount of donations than the homeless man, and (H5) when compared to men, women will donate more to the homeless individual with a dog than to the homeless individual that is alone.
Location
Waterfield Gallery
Start Date
November 2021
End Date
November 2021
Fall Scholars Week 2021 Event
Psychology: Projects In-Progress
Lending a Paw: Does the Presence of a Dog Increase Donations Given to Homeless Individuals?
Waterfield Gallery
Prosocial behavior, any behavior that results in the benefit of another individual, is considered altruistic if motivated by the desire to help others without the expectation of a reward or self gain (Lay & Hoppmann, 2015). This study seeks to investigate potential influences on the altruistic behavior of donating to the homeless. With a rise in both homelessness and dog ownership, this project seeks to investigate how the presence of a dog may impact both the willingness to donate and monetary amount donated to a homeless individual. This study also seeks to investigate any potential sex differences in this altruistic giving. It is hypothesized that (H1) there will be a significant difference in the amount and likelihood of donation when the homeless individual has a dog, (H2) more women will donation to the homeless individual, (H3) men will give more costly donations, (H4) overall the homeless woman will receive a great amount of donations than the homeless man, and (H5) when compared to men, women will donate more to the homeless individual with a dog than to the homeless individual that is alone.