Regina saw an advertisement for a charity showing a starving child who was crying. The ad said, "For pennies a day, you can help save a starving child." After making an online donation, Regina became upset when she learned that the charity had higher overhead expenses than other similar charities and so less of her contribution went to help children than to pay for the charity's administration. Regina's poor decision was MOSTLY influenced by:
A) the self-serving bias and her desire to feel good about helping.
B) her responding too quickly.
C) her incorrectly appraising a situation.
D) an appeal to emotion (pity).

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Regina's poor decision was mostly influenced by an appeal to emotion (pity) triggered by the advertisement showing a crying, starving child. The ad was designed to evoke an emotional response and encourage donations without providing enough information about how the charity operates and uses the donated funds. Regina made an impulsive decision driven by her emotional reaction to the ad, without researching the charity or comparing it to other similar organizations.

Regina Saw an Advertisement for a Charity Showing a Starving