• Home
  • Blog Posts
  • Behavioral Science
  • On Demand Webinars
  • Toolbox
  • Archives

Uncategorized

Slow Down & Speed Up Interest

You ever watched paint dry?  How about a high-speed car chase?  It turns out slowing down video can make it better but only if the scene is sufficiently fast or complex. And the slowing down accentuates the affect in both directions – positive/negative videos get judged more positively/negatively.  A child or animal running with joy […]

Learn More May 24, 2024

Substitute Donor For Panelist

Online survey research companies build panels of millions of consumers willing to participate in periodic survey research. They are paid to do so but research shows they also do so out of goodwill. These panel companies are analogous to charities with major acquisition costs and retention issues galore.  Plus, these panel companies use email solicitations […]

Learn More May 22, 2024

We Choose Words, Our Words Reveal Us

Policymakers rely on academic economists to “follow the science” and objectively model out how X impacts Y.   For gosh sakes, they use formal modeling methodologies and other quantitative analysis, all peer reviewed.  In the larger political swamp surely these creatures are the more objective, non-partisan ones. Alas, no.  In novel research published in the Economic […]

Learn More May 20, 2024

Everybody Wants Their Own Toothbrush

Psychologists have introduced thousands of new constructs and measures over the past few decades in their quest to understand human behavior. Check that, it seems to have nothing to do with understanding human behavior, which is, in theory, their job.   Instead, it appears to be the confluence of publisher bias for novelty and everybody wanting […]

Learn More May 17, 2024

Is “Which Test Won?” the Right Question?

Charity X believes in in the importance of a healthy home where families can live together. They provide rehabilitation services to working families who are trying to develop themselves to follow American traditions and support their communities. Charity X believe every person deserves the protection of a home. They provide free critical repairs to the […]

Learn More May 15, 2024

Who Are You?

The Twenty Statements Test (TST) was created by two social psychologists in the 50s’.  Maybe I’m waxing nostalgic but give me the days of low creativity, high literal simplicity in my assessments. The test is nothing more than completing this sentence, “I’m a __________.”  19 times.  Kidding, 20, times, c’mon. It’s an interesting self-reflective exercise […]

Learn More May 10, 2024

An Agitator PSA

Just breathe and repeat after me, Our echo chamber likely hyperfocuses on what separates, ignoring what binds At any given point in a day, only 1% of Americans are watching Fox News, CNN or MSNBC Notice anything in this table of most important issues?  Lots and lots of similarity.   The main differences are between R […]

Learn More May 8, 2024

Chatter vs. Courage: A Rare View of Integrity in Political Fundraising

This morning millions of emails will be waiting in the inboxes of already-annoyed Americans.  Two main broods are responsible: Democrats and Republicans. Also, this morning folks in the southeastern part of the US can steel themselves for the   tens of billions of noisy cicadas—a double emergence of two different broods—are beginning  to pop out of […]

Learn More May 6, 2024

Sham or Lighting Money on Fire?

This is another tilting at windmills post on matching gift offers.  Feel free to tune out, everyone else seems to. Cutting to the chase, the 2x, 3x, 10x…match is either a sham or you like lighting money on fire.  It’s one or the other.   How so? If you can get the same results from a […]

Learn More May 3, 2024

Altruism: The Vanilla Ice Cream of Moral Messaging

People give because they want to help others, feeling a sense of moral obligation or compassion to do so.  Said differently,  donating is an act of altruism or so the thinking goes. Altruism is like vanilla ice cream: classic, dependable… and utterly plain. And the kicker?  If you measure a variety of potential influences on […]

Learn More May 1, 2024

<< 1 … 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 … 168 >>

Ask A Behavioral Scientist

    Behavioral Science Q & A

    Q: As a designer who works with non-profits on fundraising strategy, I see the language like the following: “Our supporters help empower every girl, ensuring she has the resources she needs.” I do not think the word “help” is useful–I think “Our supporters empower every girl, ensuring she has the resources she needs. ” is much more engaging. Thoughts?

    Whether “help” is more engaging or not really depends on the framing and context. The word help can sometimes weaken the perceived agency of the supporter, making their role feel secondary rather than central (your point). On the other hand, help can also signal collaboration rather than implying full ownership of the outcome, which might […]

    Read Full Answer

    Q: We started offering a donor cover option last april 1. The data to date suggests this may be dampening giving.eg. those who say yes to donor cover have a lower average gift (based on analysis of 6000+ gifts). I’m wondering if those who give lower gifts feel more guilt and therefore say yes to donor cover or if the presence of donor cover is making people adjust (lower) their gift size to accommodate the extra 3%. Would love any insights you have.

    Great question! Here’s how behavioral science can help unpack what might be happening: Pain of Paying: Even a small extra charge can make giving feel more transactional than emotional, potentially reducing generosity. Fairness Concerns: Some donors might perceive donor cover as a surcharge rather than a contribution to the cause. If they feel the charity […]

    Read Full Answer

    Q: When writing an appeal, I waffle back and forth between writing “Your gift CAN…” or “Your gift WILL…” Any studies of which of these two words is best for an appeal?

    The choice between “Your gift CAN…” and “Your gift WILL…” taps into the psychological framing of certainty vs. possibility. Currently, there is no academic research directly comparing these two framings in charitable appeals. However, I suspect no framing is universally better—the outcome likely depends on your target audience and the campaign’s goal. Here are some thoughts: Certainty Framing – […]

    Read Full Answer

    Q: Do you have any insight on whether integrating an individual giving appeal with other comms from the charity in both appearance and messaging can uplift results? Or does the actual appeal become ‘lost’ for lack of stand-out?

    Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]

    Read Full Answer

    Q: Is there any research on response rate impact in direct mail when referring to a sustainer gift as ongoing or recurring (catching all frequencies) v. monthly or annual?

    I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]

    Read Full Answer

    Q: A major conservation nonprofit sends me lots of mail, many of which have on the envelope “time to renew” or “2nd notice.” I find this practice deceptive, especially as I haven’t given to said organization since 1997. It must be effective or they wouldn’t do it. But is it ethical?

    Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]

    Read Full Answer

    DonorVoice products

    Commitment System

    Donor Feedback Platform™

    PreTest Tool

    TouchPoint Mapping



      • © Copyright 2005 - 2025, The Agitator. All Rights Reserved.
      • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Sitemap
      • RSS Feed
      • We welcome your feedback!