Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37710031›Full record

ArticleNature human behaviour2023

Warming up cool cooperators.

Eamonn Ferguson, Claire Lawrence, Sarah Bowen, Carley N Gemelli, Amy Rozsa, Konrad Niekrasz, Anne van Dongen, Lisa A Williams, Amanda Thijsen, Nicola Guerin and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature human behaviour, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Impacts of ecosystem service message framing and dynamic social norms on public support for tropical forest restoration.Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Eamonn FergusonSchool of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK. eamonn.ferguson@nottingham.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-7678-1451
Claire LawrenceLawrence PsychAdvisory, Nottingham, UK.
Sarah BowenSchool of Economics, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-8987-8343
Carley N GemelliClinical Services and Research, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-3030-5086
Amy RozsaCorporate Strategy and Transformation, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Konrad NiekraszCorporate Strategy and Transformation, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Anne van DongenDepartment of Psychology, Health, and Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands.
Lisa A WilliamsSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-0021-5613
Amanda ThijsenClinical Services and Research, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-3310-2703
Nicola GuerinClinical Services and Research, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4674-3718
Barbara MasserNational Institute for Health and Care Research Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Donor Health and Behaviour, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9385-6497
Tanya E DavisonClinical Services and Research, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-8106-7976

Funding

Department of Education and Training | Australian Research Council (ARC) LP140100034
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Explaining why someone repeats high-cost cooperation towards non-reciprocating strangers is difficult. Warm glow offers an explanation. We argue that warm glow, as a mechanism to sustain long-term cooperation, cools off over time but can be warmed up with a simple intervention message. We tested our predictions in the context of repeat voluntary blood donation (high-cost helping of a non-reciprocating stranger) across 6 studies: a field-based experiment (n = 5,821) comparing warm-glow and impure-altruism messages; an implementation study comparing a 3-yr pre-implementation period among all first-time donors in Australia (N = 270,353) with a 2-yr post-implementation period (N = 170, 317); and 4 studies (n = 716, 1,124, 932, 1,592) exploring mechanisms. We show that there are relatively warm and cool cooperators, not cooling cooperators. Cooperation among cool cooperators is enhanced by a warm-glow-plus-identity message. Furthermore, the behavioural facilitation of future cooperation, by booking an appointment, is associated with being a warm cooperator. Societal implications are discussed.

Indexed as

AltruismAustraliaHumans

Identifiers

PMID37710031
PMCPMC10663147

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.