Publications
Publications
- December 2022
- Current Directions in Psychological Science
The Emotional Rewards of Prosocial Spending Are Robust and Replicable in Large Samples
By: Lara B. Aknin, Elizabeth W. Dunn and Ashley V. Whillans
Abstract
Past studies show that spending money on other people—prosocial spending—increases a person’s happiness. However, foundational research on this topic was conducted prior to psychology’s credibility revolution (or “replication crisis”), so it is essential to ask whether the evidence supporting this claim is robust and replicable. Here, we consider all 15 published preregistered experiments on prosocial spending to evaluate whether there is causal evidence for the idea that spending money on other people promotes happiness. Although the evidence appears somewhat mixed, we argue that the emotional benefits of prosocial spending are robust and replicable in large samples. These benefits are particularly likely when people have some choice about whether or how to give and when they understand how their generosity makes a difference. This review provides renewed support for the idea that prosocial spending promotes happiness and offers a template for revisiting phenomena that were established prior to the credibility revolution.
Keywords
Citation
Aknin, Lara B., Elizabeth W. Dunn, and Ashley V. Whillans. "The Emotional Rewards of Prosocial Spending Are Robust and Replicable in Large Samples." Current Directions in Psychological Science 31, no. 6 (December 2022): 536–545. (Pre-published online, November 9, 2022.)