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Inequality averse and compassionate blood donor: implication for interventions
Author(s) -
Ferguson Eamonn
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
vox sanguinis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.68
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1423-0410
pISSN - 0042-9007
DOI - 10.1111/vox.13088
Subject(s) - preference , inequity aversion , punishment (psychology) , psychological intervention , compensation (psychology) , intervention (counseling) , prosocial behavior , social preferences , psychology , inequality , social psychology , medicine , economics , microeconomics , psychiatry , mathematical analysis , mathematics
Background and objectives Blood donors, compared to non‐donors, are more likely to show a preference to help others either by sharing resources to directly compensate those in need or indirectly by punishing those who act unfairly. Knowing the dominant cooperative preference for blood donors will inform the development of targeted interventions. We test which preference dominates and an initial intervention based on these findings. Materials and methods We report two studies. The first compares compensation and punishment preferences in blood donors and non‐donors (N = 372) using a third‐party‐compensation‐and‐punishment game. Based on the results of Study 1, Study 2 (N = 151) is a feasibility experiment of an intervention based on advantageous inequality aversion (‘As a healthy person, you can give blood and help those less healthy than you’.). Results Blood donors, compared to non‐donors, have a preference for compensation. Organ donors have a preference for punishment. Those exposed to the advantageous inequality aversion intervention, compared to control conditions, show a greater behavioural propensity to donate blood (this was especially the case for non‐donors). Conclusion Blood donors have a clear preference for direct helping through compensation that can be translated into a simple effective intervention to enhance blood donor recruitment and retention.