Helping with All Your Heart: The Effect of Cardioids Cue on Compliance to a Request for Humanitarian Aid

Abstract

Some studies have shown that figurative cues, presented in the immediate environment of an individual, can affect his or her later behavior. This effect was applied in a fundraising context. In 12 bakeries, a pink opaque donation box was placed near the cash register with a message soliciting donations for a humanitarian project. The moneybox had a cardioids (heart-like) shape, a round shape, or a square shape. Results showed that more donations were found with the moneybox with the cardioids shape. The spreading activation theory is used to explain these results.