Scientists who study happiness know that being kind to others makes us happier. For example, just buying someone a cup of coffee for him can lift his mood. There are many opportunities for these behaviors in everyday life, but people don’t always take advantage of them.
In a series of studies published online, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Nick Epley, a behavioral scientist at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and I explored possible explanations. It turns out that people who perform random acts of kindness don’t always realize how much they influence others. People consistently and systematically underestimate how others view these acts.
In multiple experiments involving about 1,000 participants, people randomly performed acts of kindness. That is, actions done with the primary purpose of making someone else (who is not expecting a gesture) feel better. Those who commit such acts do not expect anything in return.
The specific act of kindness varied from one procedure to the next. For example, in one experiment, people wrote notes to friends and family “just because.” In another, they handed out cupcakes. Across these experiments, both the performers and the recipients of acts of kindness completed questionnaires. People who acted kindly were asked to report their experiences and predict the reaction of recipients. We wanted to understand the extent to which people perceive these acts as valuable, so both performers and recipients need to assess how “big” the act is perceived. had. In some cases, we also examined the actual or perceived cost of time, money, or effort. In all cases, the receiver’s mood was compared with the performer’s expectations of the receiver’s mood. actual experience.
Several robust patterns were revealed throughout the investigation. For one thing, both performers and recipients of acts of kindness felt more positive than usual after these exchanges. was clear. The recipient felt much better than the kind actor expected. Recipients also reliably rated these acts as “greater” than performers.
We initially studied acts of kindness performed on people close to us, such as friends, classmates, and family members. But we found that participants also underestimated the positive impact on strangers: in one experiment, on a cold winter day, participants were presented with hot chocolates at a park’s ice skating rink. Did. Again, the recipients, who happened to be nearby, had a more positive experience than the givers had expected. The person who gave the hot chocolate thought the act wasn’t very important, but it was very important to the recipient.
Our research also revealed one reason why people underestimate the impact of their actions. For example, when one group of participants was asked to estimate how many cupcakes they would like to have just to participate in the study, their predictions were well calibrated with the recipient’s responses. But when people received cupcakes through acts of kindness, cupcake givers underestimated how positive the recipients would feel. Tend to be more focused. warmth than a performer.
Our research suggests that being part of a positive, prosocial interaction has meaning beyond what a person receives. but it turns out that a kindly given cupcake makes you feel better surprisingly good. When you’re first and foremost about the delicious treat someone is handing out, you might not realize that the warmth of that gesture is an extra element that makes the cupcake even sweeter.
Forgetting the importance of warmth may prevent us from making our daily lives more gentle. People generally want to act kind. However, our data suggest that underestimating the impact of their actions may make them less likely to be kind. may not bother to perform warm and prosocial behavior.
Moreover, the consequences of these acts may extend beyond a single recipient. Kindness can be contagious. Another experiment asked people to play economic games and was able to examine what is sometimes called the “pay-forward” effect. In this game, participants split money between themselves and people they would never meet. Those who just received an act of kindness gave more to anonymous people than those who did not. Those who did the first act, on the other hand, did not realize that their generosity spilled over into these downstream interactions.
These findings show that when we decide whether to do something good for someone, what may seem trivial can become a big deal for the person we do it for. Given that these warm gestures can lift our own moods and brighten other people’s days, why not choose kindness while you can?
Are you a scientist specializing in neuroscience, cognitive science, or psychology, and have you read a recent peer-reviewed paper you’d like to contribute to Mind Matters? Send your suggestions to Scientific Americanby Mind Matters Editor Daisy Juhas pitchmindmatters@gmail.com.
