Research On The Attraction Effect Of College Students' Charitable Donation Behavior

The attraction effect refers to a phenomenon that the introduction of a decoy option to the choice set makes a specific option more attractive and more likely to be selected. The attraction effect can reduce a decision-maker's negative emotion and simplify the process of making decision. In the past, most studies on the attraction effect mainly focused on consumption, recruitment, bank investment, vote and other fields alike, but few extends to charitable donation and, in particular, the psychological conflict caused by the incompatibility between morality and loss of material. Thus, the paper aims to demonstrate the availability of the attraction effect in charitable donation and reduce the individual's psychological conflict in charity donation with the help of such a effect. In addition, the paper also investigates the influence of different salary and thinking styles on the attraction effect.Study 1 demonstrates the availability of the attraction effect in charitable donation. The specific situation revised from a real event about the charitable donation was used to test the choices of 103 university students in charitable donation. Results show that the introduction of a decoy option reduces the conflict, making it easier to choose a higher amount of donation, the selected probability of the target option significantly increases and thus the attraction effect exists.Study 2 investigates the influence of different salary and thinking styles on the attraction effect. The Chinese version of the rational-experimental thinking style scale and the revised real event about the charitable donation are used to investigate 300 students. Results are as follow:(1) In the situation of low salary, the attraction effect is evident, while in the situation of high salary, the attraction effect doesn't exist. (2) Thinking styles influence the attraction effect. The attraction effect is more evident in participants with high rational thinking than those with low rational thinking, however, the attraction effect is more evident in participants with low intuitive thinking than those with high intuitive thinking. In addition, the further analysis shows no significant difference between high and low rational thinking in the attraction effect.The study demonstrates the attraction effect which is proof of being affected by thinking styles exists in charitable donation, and the salary level affects the amount of donation, which plays an vital role in the emergence of the attraction effect.