To register for the PROSOCIAL Virtual seminar on January 13th, 2026, at 2:30 PM (CET) please fill out the form below. You will receive an email that contains the link for joining the seminar.
Title of the presentation: Incentives and Prosocial Discomfort: A Laboratory Experiment
Speaker: Nicola Lacetera (University of Bologna)
Abstract:
We conducted a laboratory experiment in which participants decided whether to experience discomfort for charity, with or without additional personal compensation. Acceptance decreased with greater discomfort and increased with both larger charitable donations and personal payments. However, personal compensation reduced the marginal impact of donations—the combined effect of private and social rewards was less than additive. Moreover, order mattered: participants who first faced choices without personal compensation were more responsive to charitable donations throughout, whereas those exposed first to paid choices were less responsive, even when later decisions involved no payment. These results show that context — especially the presence and sequencing of private rewards— affects the relationship between incentives and prosocial behavior.
Privacy Policy:
Your registration data will be used exclusively for registration and organization of the seminar. It will only be passed on to third parties if this is necessary for the event to take place or if required by law.
Recording of the seminar:
The seminar might be recorded and published on YouTube at a later date. We will inform about the recording at the beginning of the seminar. The recording will include the speaker's camera and microphone as well as the presentation slides. Whether and to what extent your data will be recorded depends on what data you disclose before or during participation. If you ask questions in person, these will also be included in the recording. Alternatively, you can ask your questions via chat function, which is not part of the recording and is moderated by the organizing team. This ensures that your privacy is protected.
Of course, you can revoke your consent at any time. For more information about how we handle your data, please refer to our privacy policy: Datenschutzerklaerung_PROSOCIAL_Virtual_Seminar.pdf
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