Abstract:

A fundamental question in charitable giving research concerns what types of solicitation messages people prefer and what underlying psychological mechanisms drive these preferences. Through systematic analysis of existing literature, donation solicitation message preferences are identified and categorized into three distinct types, with a unified theoretical framework based on construal level theory proposed to explain these phenomena.

A comprehensive classification system organizes diverse preference phenomena into three categories: simplification preferences, concreteness preferences, and matching preferences. Simplification preferences encompass the singularity effect (preference for helping single victims over groups), single choice preferences (favoring single payment channels and donation options), and single request preferences (preferring one-time over repeated solicitation requests). Concreteness preferences include the identifiable victim effect (stronger responses to victims with specific identities), proximity preferences (favoring psychologically closer beneficiaries), urgency preferences (preferring immediate need situations), and time versus money donation preferences (favoring time donations over monetary contributions). Matching preferences involve conditional effects where preference direction depends on the alignment between donor characteristics and solicitation message features, such as development/recovery framework preferences and psychological distance matching effects.

Analysis of these preference phenomena reveals distinct characteristics across the three categories. Simplification preferences consistently reflect individuals' tendency to reduce cognitive load by favoring easily processed information with minimal decision complexity. Concreteness preferences demonstrate systematic bias toward vivid, perceivable details that enhance psychological accessibility and facilitate mental representation. In contrast, matching preferences exhibit conditional dependency, where preference direction varies based on the alignment between donor characteristics and solicitation message features.

Existing theoretical explanations include evaluability theory, affective numbing theory, scope insensitivity theory, and naive belief theory. While these theories provide valuable insights, they primarily apply to simplification preferences and lack systematic explanatory power for concreteness preferences and matching effects. A unified theoretical framework capable of explaining all three preference categories remains absent from the literature. Construal level theory serves as a unifying framework to explain these seemingly disparate phenomena. Simplification and concreteness preferences both reflect a systematic bias toward low-construal-level information processing.

Based on construal level theory, the proposed theoretical model explains how low-construal-level solicitation messages promote donation behavior through three distinct pathways. First, the direct effects pathway indicates that low-construal-level information directly enhances donation willingness due to its emphasis on feasibility and concrete means rather than abstract goals. Second, the psychological distance mediation pathway operates through two sub-mechanisms: enhanced perceived impact (donors can clearly envision specific outcomes of their contributions) and strengthened emotional responses (increased empathy and warmth while reducing pain of giving). Third, the information processing fluency pathway demonstrates that low-construal-level information requires less cognitive effort to process, creating a subjective experience of fluency that generates positive feelings and judgments.

Matching preferences are explained within the same theoretical framework. They occur when congruence exists between individuals' construal level tendencies and the construal level of solicitation situations. For instance, high social class individuals with promotion focus and high-construal-level tendencies prefer development-oriented donation frameworks, while low social class individuals with prevention focus prefer recovery-oriented frameworks that embody low-construal-level characteristics. The matching principle explains why the general advantage of low-construal-level information can be moderated or even reversed under specific conditions.

The framework provides actionable insights for charitable organizations, suggesting that fundraising messages should generally emphasize concrete, specific details while maintaining simplicity in presentation. However, the matching principle indicates that optimal message design should consider donor characteristics and contextual factors. These findings advance understanding of charitable giving by demonstrating how construal level theory can unify diverse preference phenomena, providing evidence-based guidance for designing more effective charitable communications that align with fundamental cognitive processing principles.

Future research should focus on validating pathway mechanisms, exploring additional matching effects, and examining theoretical applicability in digital environments. A particularly important direction involves understanding how emerging technologies—including algorithmic recommendations, social media propagation, and AI-generated content—might alter traditional preference patterns and the effectiveness of low-construal-level information in charitable giving contexts.

Key words: charitable donation, donation solicitation message, choice preferences, construal level theory, psychological distance