The outpouring of support that often follows massive disasters inevitably sparks discussion on the psychology of giving. Why do people respond so generously with their money to events overseas or across the country when human needs in their own communities remain unmet? Why do people often make a one-time donation when itâ??s clear the recovery efforts will take years? What motivates people in the first place to help people living halfway across the globe?
Take Melanie Koch, a senior psychology major who, until the Haiti earthquake, hadnâ??t done any volunteer work since transferring to UW-Madison in 2008. But last week, after being moved by the tragic images coming out of Haiti, she was helping out at a donation booth at the Rathskeller at the Memorial Union as part of the Haiti Relief Day of Action efforts. â??This is the first event that really made me feel like I had to get out and help,â? says Koch.
Quoted: Jane Piliavin, UW-Madison professor emerita of sociology