Science

Fear of giving too little can stop people from giving at all

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 22/10/2026, 15:10:24 UTC.

Briefings

Research led by Jean Zhang indicates that individuals often refrain from donating entirely due to fear of under-contributing, effectively raising the threshold for generosity. The study challenges the common belief that giving small amounts is preferable to giving nothing, suggesting instead that the anxiety of insufficient contribution may be the primary barrier to any donation.

Key points

• Jean Zhang's research shows people avoid donating completely because they fear giving too little.
• The study suggests the barrier to generosity is the fear of under-contributing rather than the amount given.

Context

This finding challenges the assumption that giving small amounts is better than giving nothing, suggesting the fear of under-contributing is the primary barrier to generosity.

Limitations

Evidence is limited to a single study by Jean Zhang, with no additional data on participant demographics, donation amounts, or broader societal impact.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 22/10/2026, 15:39:40 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

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