Baseline testosterone moderates the effect of money exposure on charitable giving intent

Abstract Prior research has conflicting evidence of the effects of money exposure on prosocial behavior, begging the question of potential moderators of the effect. The current research examines the role of baseline testosterone, a correlate of both status and status‐seeking behaviors, in moderating the effect of money exposure on charitable giving intent. An experiment involving 92 male students ( M age = 20.46, standard deviation = 2.28) found baseline testosterone levels moderating the effect of money exposure ( b = −.02, t = 3.46, p < .001, 95% confidence interval [CI] [−0.057, −0.002]), with low‐T males exposed to money showing significantly higher charitable donation intent (vs. control; b = 1.21, t = 2.24, p = .028, 95% CI [0.135, 2.293]) and high‐testosterone males exhibiting significantly lower ( b = −1.46, t = 2.68, p = .009, 95% CI [−2.545, −0.378]). These findings show instances where money exposure can enhance, rather than inhibit, prosocial intentions that have broad implications for the study and practice of marketing.