An exploration of how construal level framing determines bequest giving behavior

Abstract

This research tests the Construal-Level Theory of Psychological Distance in a three-dimensional context via a bequest fundraising telephone campaign. We experimentally primed temporal distance (i.e., 10 vs. 50 years) and social distance (i.e., donors' family and friends vs. benefits for wider society) before people answered a bequest-related question. We then observed how matching and mismatching between these two dimensions impacted decisions differently depending on whether people engaged in a lower-level thinking task (i.e., recalling whether they have left a bequest to a charity) or a higher-level thinking task (i.e., considering whether they might leave a bequest in the future). Our findings contribute to the existing Construal-Level Theory and nonprofit research by testing the unique combination of a three-dimensional construal situation. Learning from this research can be applied to the design of innovative bequest fundraising procedures as well as innovative procedures to promote other voluntary decisions in the future.