Research Summary
Research Summary
Health & Giving
Description
Past research suggests that spending money on others (prosocial spending) can promote happiness. With this as a springboard, Professor Whillans’ work examines the health benefits of helping others. After recruiting older adults who were previously diagnosed with high blood pressure, she gave each participant a modest amount of money to spend over the course of three weeks. Measuring their blood pressure before, during, and after they spent their study payments, Professor Whillans found that participants who were randomly assigned to spend money on others showed significant reductions in blood pressure, a benefit comparable in magnitude to starting a new aerobic exercise program. Her work provides some of the strongest evidence to date that prosocial behavior can lead to clinically relevant benefits for physical health.
