A groundbreaking study led by Wiebke Bleidorn, a professor of psychology at the University of Zurich, reveals that specific personality traits significantly influence individuals’ philanthropic behavior. The new research compared data from 29 international studies including more than 90,000 participants. It highlights the multifaceted connection between personality and prosocial behavior.
Bleidorn and her colleagues recently performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to tackle these questions. Well, according to their research, it’s actually two of the big five personality traits that lead to deeper philanthropic commitment. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how individual differences can shape one’s contributions to society and charitable activities.
Research Overview
The study’s holistic approach featured a systematic review of the existing literature on personality traits and philanthropy. To identify trends in saving species, Bleidorn and her team synthesized results from dozens of studies. Through this work, they were able to pinpoint reproducible associations connecting personality traits to predictable philanthropic patterns.
Find the report of these findings from this multi-year study on PsyArXiv, DOI 10.31234/osf.io/4sjhg_v1. This publication demonstrates that personality is key to predicting altruistic behavior. For example, it indicates that some characteristics are associated with a higher probability of people volunteering and making charitable contributions.
Bleidorn stated, “Our findings confirm that individual differences in personality play a role in whether and how much people engage in prosocial behavior.” This statement encapsulates the essence of the study, emphasizing that personality traits are not merely abstract concepts but practical factors influencing real-world actions.
Implications for Philanthropy
The implications of this research are far-reaching. Recognizing the role that personality traits play in shaping philanthropic engagement is key. This new understanding can help governments and nonprofits develop more effective strategies to increase volunteerism and charitable donations.
Chris Hopwood, a professor of psychology who led the study, has high hopes for the real-world applications of their work. He is hopeful these discoveries will have an outsized influence. He noted, “This knowledge can be used to develop more targeted strategies aimed at promoting volunteering and charitable giving.” With that knowledge, nonprofits can better focus their outreach based on the personality profiles of the people they’re trying to reach, whether it’s donors or volunteers.
The study’s results show just how powerful introversion and extroversion are. In cultivating these individual attributes, we can cultivate civic action and social engagement, and improve support for community and charitable efforts.
