The Rich Should Donate More

According to a new study co-authored by Yale SOM’s Gal Zauberman, people of a wide range of income levels believe that they are giving what they should to charity, but that the rich should donate more because they have more spare income and therefore, a greater obligation to give.

This new study finds that humans tend to think that those doing better than us, whether our bosses, friends, family, or neighbors, should donate a higher proportion of their income to charity. This opinion that the rich should donate more  is based on their perception of someone’s lifestyle in comparison to their own without considering that an increase in income also increases expenses.