Does Money Lead to Happiness? | The Science of Empathy

What does it mean to be charitable? Do we have to be charitable all the time? In this experiment, we hand over $50 to each participant but attached to each bill is a choice: Either the person decides to keep the money for themselves or donate it to a charity of their choosing. It feels good to give back but then again…$50 is $50.
If you were given $50, would you donate it or keep it? Give it to a good cause or put it toward those bills you stress about? Neither answer is right or wrong, but one could have a greater effect on your happiness.
Here is the study we based this experiment on:
www.psychology...
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[@GenevieveThornton]

I’m watching this while in line at Starbucks drive-thru, It’s inspired me to pay for the person’s coffee behind me. Never done this before! Lol, hope it’s not a huge order! Love SoulPancake!

[@angelo8519]

Genevieve I'm the person behind you and i'm gonna order a lot 😛 thanks tho

[@777RBE777]

Lol

[@GenevieveThornton]

Awesome Emosewa rofl thankfully it only cost about $8. It was a simple gesture, but felt fun to do. I’d do it again👍

[@miriamrobarts]

I'm sure it was a nice surprise for them, and who knows? Maybe they were having a hard time and needed to know that someone cares. I've heard lots of stories like that where some small act of kindness meant a whole lot and made a big difference for someone.

[@michellelin7079]

how does that even work? like do they just add it to your credit card idk

[@Ashantiko]

The issue here is that this video is not nuanced in regarding situations. One of the women pointed out she kept it to help save up for her daughters braces. Does that mean she is less happy? When you donate to something it is for a cause to help others, but in some cases, you or your family may be the one who needs help.

[@TheBakingSlave]

Also, the people who kept it will be nervous and feeling guilty sitting there while being filmed as they feel they are being judged, but I guarantee you that once at home they will probably tell themselves "man I am glad I kept it as its not everyday some random person hands you 50 bucks".....Ironically, I would have donated just based on my personality and how I am, but is it the smart move in this situation? Probably not. If the people donating don't have much money to begin with then they also deserve it, its just a weird thing overall.

[@mrlnxf8455]

True!

[@dianabuck7310]

They had them fill out the survey before they revealed their choice. Also, none of them *had* to say on camera what they did with the money. I'm sure most people didn't share their decision. The participants all felt happier leaving the experiment, but the ones that donated showed a *greater* increase in happiness.

[@lazulianwater]

It's possible they didn't feel as good when keeping the money because they were guilted by the camera and the social pressure they felt around the situation. While I like soul pancake, I'm not a fan of how unscientific these studies are. I feel like it really detracts from the final message they are trying to show.

[@santiagoabliterature]

lazulianwater they told it was secret, so your point is invalid, biatch

[@hdperera123]

These experiments are usually based off of studies that are validated they do these experiments to kinda hit the point home. But the real studies have like all things accounted for

[@colasalz2]

thats why the made the decision anonymous. and they first made the questinoaire than they were asked if they wanted to share their decision.

[@petermeyer6873]

yeah, and then they cherrypicked those recordings to be presented here, that went well with the messege to be send.

[@featherman9]

Could their increase in happiness (on camera) be connected to the fact that they are being recorded and they wanted to look good on camera?

[@ejniebo6214]

Levi yeh sadly I think so too. If everyone would be like super happy after donating more people would do it.

[@tortalong7074]

Levi but still, donating money can make you happy especially if someone noticed your action

[@HundredsScope]

emin

[@miriamrobarts]

But they were told that the people watching wouldn't know if they donated or not, so that shouldn't have affected them much, if at all. Also, I'd rather have someone do something good because they're being watched than not do it at all.

[@edwinbuddy]

wealth effect not accounted for, that $50 was not earned by them

[@petster13]

Keep the money, half the money goes yo the people who run the charity anyways. Volunteer for charity instead, it's priceless and full of experience. Your time is worth more than 50 bucks

[@anthonyt425]

petster13 Completely agree. Knowing me I would just pocket the money and then volunteer my time on the weekend. Time is more precious than money anyway.

[@miriamrobarts]

That's a good point if you don't know how much goes to the cause. There are some that are in the 90% range of what actually goes to the stated cause, and a few where 100% actually goes to help, but it can be hard to know.

[@TheBakingSlave]

I partially agree ;-). There is actually a website that shows you EXACTLY how much the payout goes to the CEO of the charity and shows a list of exactly where your money goes. It also lists which charities are fraudulent. Use that website to gauge which charities are legitimate (they are ranked for each category). It is still important to donate money (if you actually have it) because they need funds to run research. However, I do agree you need to research as many charities are ridiculously corrupt. One thing I do is I call and ask what they ACTUALLY need. For example, for the red cross it may be blankets, water, etc....and I buy it myself instead of handing THEM the money to do whatever with.

[@seraphina985]

+N. Calhoun It's worth noting however with an organisation like the Red Cross that they are large enough even with their overheads they can probably buy 3 or 4 blankets possibly more for the cost you can buy 1 at retail. Sure if you already have second hand blankets in good condition that is one thing but otherwise letting them take advantage of their economies of scale may well increase the effectiveness of the dollars.

[@InsightfulZen]

I like the message that is being portrayed here but it's not fully accurate. While being empathetic increases happiness, economic status is also linked with a person's level of happiness too, but wasn't controlled for. I sympathize with the people who kept the money because I probably would have in this moment, I'm flat broke right now and have bills to pay. I could use that money badly, and it's hard to justify giving if I can't even give to myself

[@miriamrobarts]

They did say that the people who kept the money were happier, too (just at a lower percentage than the donators, but still happier than they were when they started!) Also, when they talked about why, the guy agreed with them and validated their point. For example: "Braces are expensive." etc.

[@jaydevsinhsolanki9323]

Out of 50$ I will be donating 5$ and happiness is in sharing no matter it is little.

[@tortalong7074]

Jaydev Solanki agree

[@chainsawe.b1894]

Jaydev Solanki its $5 not 5$

[@maxchienbinh]

i believe you cannot split the money. you have to choose whether you want to donate the whole $50 or keep it.

[@jaydevsinhsolanki9323]

thanh nguyen I keep that money and then I can do whatever I want with that . And then I wish to donate some bucks.

[@MrMaic0]

So, here's $50, you can donate or keep, we won't know. 5 seconds later - did you donate or keep? Get tricked lol

[@miriamrobarts]

He invited them to share, but they didn't have to say anything. I probably would have had a bit of the same reaction though, and given them a hard time saying, "I thought it was supposed to be anonymous!" Then I would have told them.

[@haynonoh3200]

Miriam Robarts ok Miss know it all! You're under every comment on this page with your corrections and opinions!

[@miriamrobarts]

I just found the video interesting & I like it when people share their opinions & have "conversations" in the comments.

[@colasalz2]

they are not tricked. They decided to share it.

[@Klx2023]

I'm not a scientist, but I'm wondering how this experiment would have went if you guys had a group of people of the same social status, without huge loans of any sort do this experiment. I would be more curious to see the result of that.

[@miriamrobarts]

I think that with just about any group, you'd get some who keep it and some who donate.

[@dianabuck7310]

@Miriam I do think the proportions would differ though.

[@kateg9437]

More people donated here because of pressure to (simply by being given the option. If they’d just been given $50, far fewer would have donated it), but also because they didn’t feel the money was theirs. They hadn’t earned it, to they don’t have as strong an attachment.

[@NiamhCreates]

I would easily choose to keep it. I'll donate on my own time, privately. It's the pressure of the situation that I don't like. I don't want to feel pressured to do the "right thing", I want to do that on my own.

[@cdaooo]

If I had the choice, I would have donated $25 and kept the other $25 :)

[@Educatedunhousedperson]

If they say you can do whatever you want, what's keeping the person from going half and half and just donating on camera?

[@miriamrobarts]

They were told that it had to be all one or the other. I guess you could have kept it and donated some on your own afterward.

[@dianabuck7310]

Yeah, you don't get the choice to split the money. It's all or nothing. You can, of course, donate some of the money you kept, but in that moment in the experiment space, you are not part of the "donate" group.

[@drdrogo8938]

to be honest i would take the money and then say i donated it

[@rakeshpriye6199]

Genius. So how of 'em have done it

[@miriamrobarts]

I wonder how you would have scored on the happiness result. The viewers may not know, but I think the ones getting the results of the happiness survey did know which box it went into.

[@dianabuck7310]

@Miriam You're exactly right.

[@mariah_7654]

About a year ago I would have donated the money, but after learning more from friends in the social work field I see that giving of my time is more important; so I would keep the money then go volunteer.

[@fmous_n_fav3638]

Depends on person financial status

[@Aandi_pants]

For the people in the comments referring to the cameras putting pressure on them, try checking out the more in depth study in the description he referenced in the beginning of the video. Sometimes the camera does cheapen studies like this which is why I like when channels like this site their sources of inspiration.

[@KerriCz]

People who know they are being watched act differently than they would otherwise. So it's not really "scientific" at all... but I get the point.

[@miriamrobarts]

Well, it just shows how people react in that kind of situation.

[@MildlyHighDutchGuy]

They were told that they didn't film in there and that they wouldn't know what the candidates would choose. Did you watch the video?

[@miriamrobarts]

I guess you could argue that even though they knew that their decision wouldn't be recorded, they still are in a situation where they are interacting with people and being recorded, which is much different than if they were alone. It's interesting to see what people do and why either way.

[@gauravdoulatani8452]

You need to get people who are in the same financial situation. Also people donated because it was just $50. Had it been more money (like around $500 or more) I don't think many people would donate.

[@hopem6185]

Love this channel so much

[@user-lv3db9pw7e]

Not part of the experiment but I played this game to see how accurate my 'first impression'/'ability to read people' is. So before hearing whether they decided to donate or keep I would guess who kept and who donated. It was entertaining. Highly recommend :D

[@lou7319]

The women who kept the money wasnt helping herself she donated the money to her children she is the needy and poor in this situation.

[@Lgisas]

I wonder if a lot of the happiness was effected by the cameras. I assume if they weren’t being filmed their happiness wouldn’t be the same.

[@annettesh75]

It wasn't my money to begin with, I didn't work for it. I always wish I had extra money to donate. So if it's just an amount that isn't going to change my life (even if it was, I would donate a portion) I would donate it to an animal rescue. My problem would be which one... Probably Animal Aid Unlimited. They do so much with such little resources...they save some very lost broken souls.

[@tocatwinz6712]

Hiii! Love your channel!

[@CaptainKeytie00]

Can anyone tell me the name of the outro song? Pls :)

[@sherbournesubwaymess]

The fatal flaw with this test: None of them EARNED that $50, so it was easy for them to donate it. For those who kept it, they didn't earn it...hence they felt the conflict. The cameras also influenced the choice. I really doubt it if you found $50 on the street and there was no way in finding the owner: you would not end up donating it. Chances are pretty much 100 percent you'd pocket it. This experiment was more about public pressure to 'do the right thing'. Fact is: If we think we can 'get away' with stealing, we will. Online piracy is theft, but that hasn't stopped millions from doing it.

[@boahneelassmal]

Could you do another experiment?: This time ask your partakers to bring a 50$ bill. Upon the begnining of the experiment let them hand you the 50$ and thn continue as you did in this video. It would be very interesting to see the outcome here.

[@the5thghostbuster]

Woah, $64 is a lot of money. I probably would have donated it because I would for definitely feel happier giving money to people who need it more than I do.

[@noahhenderson3164]

What I liked was it seeeemed that those who kept it did it because they more needed it than wanted.

[@randysmith719]

I would have kept it of course!

[@hayleyjade5936]

i love these videos!!!!!!!

[@videogamebomer]

I think the fact that their being filmed affected their choices

[@Yeewen88]

How do they even know how many percent their happiness goes up by

[@funforsameer1769]

Do this again but make them work for it.

[@kingdompursuit3472]

Girl at 2:35 was on judge mablean for her son being expelled from school

[@nusart_bearthorn]

i think it may be based on a guilt trip either though its anonymous! Its like an “on the spot” guilt trip. Or for me it would be; but I would keep it as i Donate every time i pay taxes!

[@randysmith719]

I would keep all of it for myself

[@elenabob4953]

5:17, she is so bright but seeing the scar on her arm I realized that it must have hurt a lot.

[@tomcarpino7946]

Great video @soulpancake

[@simonbell8957]

What happened to the black girl? What she did? Did she kept the money?

[@normatrevinoxoxo]

That's what I'm betting.

[@maddiedoyle2234]

Yes tbh

[@D0NCH33T0]

If money weren't what determined happiness then maybe I'd donate more...

[@Fascistbeast]

It depends on every individuals circumstance

[@Lauritonas]

I went to the mall with 50$ i saved up to buy my bro a present but on my way out there was some people holding a charity. I gave them the 50$. Didn’t really increase me.

[@Stranger_Strange_Land]

How would they know who decided to keep it in order to give it back if it's anonymous and they didn't disclose their decision at the end? I missed that tid bit...

[@zanik8326]

but when you relize some charitys are fake some of the companys just want money

[@spiderliliez]

From DNEWS to here... you look great with facial hair.

[@TheBakingSlave]

Money makes life easier and therefore indirectly could make people happier yes, but does it independently make people more happy? No.....thus why so many celebrities still struggle with depression, suicide, etc......

[@seraphina985]

+N. Calhoun Arguably if anything it's the other way around, lack of money is a stressor that harms happiness but once you reach the point of being able to make ends meet comfortably without stressing about where the money is going to come from having more wont directly do anything to make you happy. Since after that point you are not stressed by the lack of money anyway so it's not really doing anything having extra digits in the bank.

[@Valkirth]

easily would of just donated it,$50 to me isn't much but $50 to someone else could be the difference between paying their bills and not.

[@williamwatson2423]

You tested "Give To Charity" versus "Refuse to Give to Charity". Obviously the first one feels better. You need a control of "Here's $50. For you. No questions asked. Have fun!" and don't mention charity at all. Then see if they're happier keeping it, or happier giving to charity. Even better. Compare the above to "Here's $50 that you *must* give away". How does that feel compared to "Here's $50 you *must* spend on yourself"?

[@HentaiSweetie]

I would have unapologeticly kept it.

[@jackbalitok3910]

Yeah, may empathy guarantee your survival.

[@bunnygirl8490]

I’d keep it and be happy lol

[@petermeyer6873]

Actually helping others is compassion - spending money on organisations that pretend to help others with that money is just buying good conscience, so its really spending on oneself. Is the experiment flawed? Is this uplift in happyness only shortlived? Whenever I donated something in the past and then thought it over again, I felt betrayed - it did not "make it worth the price".

[@jerrysnyder221]

Do you have a copy of the happiness test?

[@genericperson1002]

I would keep it.

[@fatimareyes7655]

Is there a way I can access that hapiness test? Thank you. ;-)

[@natattacc99]

Empathy is my drug

[@Iloona974]

NH.-B back it with information please empathy without it can be reckless

[@lou7319]

I would have donated and not chose to share wat i did with it

[@Ruwen.S]

Rather be sad in my mansion and Ferrari, than sad and homeless 😜

[@Ruwen.S]

Roosta I knew someone would assume and misinterpret it. That comment was a direct reply to the title, not the video. They’re are well known questions/sayings: Does Money make people happy. Money can’t buy happiness etc

[@Educatedunhousedperson]

Didn't even watch the video.

[@Ruwen.S]

Hebiyoujo I did watch the video 🙄 What are you trying to achieve with this comment. It’s not illegal to watch the video or not and comment anyway. Why are you going around policing people.

[@CarolinaCastroParra]

This is cool and I totally believe it but how do you make the measure and get a percentage?

[@dylanweaver1261]

Carolina Castro Parra I think they were asked how happy they were on a scale of 1 to 10 before receiving the money and after they made their choice. You can then calculate the percentage of happiness increased or decreased.

[@miriamrobarts]

It looked like they had a survey of questions. They filled out 1/2 before and 1/2 after.

[@emray5801]

Cool so people who dont really need 50$ felt good about giving it away and people who felt they really needed 50$ felt kind of guilty. Idk this feels more like poor shaming.

[@johndounts]

I would have keep the 50 dollars you need to help yourself before you can help others.

[@rainbowcarebear4530]

See it anoys me these people arent hungry and homeless. .....

[@MatejVelican]

5:06 Oh really? Who the heck would say... Sky is blue. Apple is healthy. Earth is not flat.

[@alexisturcios2174]

Mo money less problems

[@kikyouwuv]

This is incredibly bias. You are basically guilting them in to donating it. That being said if they really need $50 that badly in their life they need to rethink their current life choices. $50 should not be this big of a choice in your life. It should just be a "meh yeah I'll donate it, why not?" Did you pick those people off the craigslist work wanted add or what?

[@dianabuck7310]

Wow, talk about a lack of empathy. Some people do genuinely need $50. That can be a month's worth of groceries for some people. For example, people that are dealing with huge medical bills, whose lives are overwhelmed by the interest incurred as they slowly widdle away at the cost of ambulances, surgeries, medication, and hospital stays. What sort of life choice could they possibly rethink? They don't get to choose if they get injured in a hit and run or if they get trapped in a wildfire. There really isn't the option to forgo medical care. They don't get to choose if their child develops a terrible disorder. Are you asking them to let their child die to save some money? Seriously, you need this chanel more than the rest of us, because you clearly cannot think outside your own situation.

[@kikyouwuv]

Like I said if $50 means that much to you then you need to get your sh*t together because it should not mean that much to anyone. It's a sure sign that people are irresponsible and making poor life choices.

[@dianabuck7310]

Wamp-Wamp Did you not read a word of that?

[@santiagoabliterature]

The question is wha

[@shannonwietsma9457]

Yayy

[@alicia1467]

Yas

[@onlypencil]

The brunette girl is gorgeous

[@tocatwinz6712]

Seventh!

[@HoodedSpidey]

Second

[@DoinggoodtogetherOrg]

Thank you so much for sharing this! We agree, empathy is a muscle that must be exercised. We can do that via the habits we create for ourselves and our family. (Kindly visit our nonprofit organization for tips on how to raise kids who are kind and caring: DoingGoodTogether.org)

[@HoodedSpidey]

Aaaaand fifth.

[@HoodedSpidey]

Third

[@badhonebrahim7707]

somuch acting going on.

[@renanbelli]

This is far away from science.

[@thehoneyeffect]

If you can afford to give give but if you can’t keep it I would’ve kept 45 and donated five

[@thepugawsomegamer1722]

What ever happened to kid president he has valuable lessons to teach if you agree reply in a good way

[@HoodedSpidey]

Fourth

[@ngoms1260]

yo

[@HoodedSpidey]

First

[@junhyunglee6744]

aaaand u will get a tax deduction while doing it. Kaboom

[@collinsmugodo380]

Fun video.... But poorly designed experiment

[@pug6871]

Who speaks pig Latin here

[@supashyarc]

pug anims and gaming me

[@pug6871]

Supashya Roy Chowdhury ellohay iway overlay histay anguagelay