When They Come in Crowds: Charity Appeals and Moral Fatigue

Abstract

The present research examined the effect of exposure to multiple charity appeals on a range of variables that are strongly predictive of moral behavior in two lab experiments. Using videos (Experiment 1; N = 75) and posters (Experiment 2, N = 62) from charitable organizations, the present findings demonstrate that exposure to multiple charity appeals (but not few charity appeals or exposure to multiple commercials) lead to moral fatigue, expressed in a breakdown of empathic accuracy, moral regard, and prosocial intent. Implications of this finding are discussed.