The Role of Analytic-Holistic Thinking Style in Charitable Responses to Public Health Crises

It has been shown that people are more likely to donate when they feel physically vulnerable to a public health crisis. However, little is known about an individual difference that may moderate this effect. The current research addresses this gap by investigating whether and how analytic-holistic thinking style influences the relationship between perceived physical vulnerability and donation behavior. Three studies found that, for analytic thinkers, higher perceived physical vulnerability to a public health crisis resulted in a stronger feeling of closeness to donation beneficiaries and higher donation likelihood. For holistic thinkers, variations in perceived physical vulnerability had little effect on closeness or donation likelihood. This research advances the charitable giving literature by identifying thinking style as a moderator of the relationship between perceived physical vulnerability and donation behavior. It also enriches research on analytic-holistic thinking style by demonstrating how the distinct styles of thinking shape donation decision-making processes.