Identifiable victim effect

"Identifiable victim effect" refers to the tendency of individuals to offer greater aid when a specific, identifiable person ("victim") is observed under hardship, as compared to a large, vaguely defined group with the same need. The effect is also observed when subjects administer punishment rather than reward. Participants in a study were more likely to mete out punishment, even at their own expense, when they were punishing specific, identifiable individuals ("perpetrators").

Vivid, flesh and blood-victims are often more powerful sources of persuasion than are abstract statistics (Collins et al. 1988). For example, Ryan White contracted HIV at age 13 and struggled with the disease until succumbing some six years later. Following his death, the US congress passed the Ryan White Care Act, which funded the largest set of services for people living with the AIDS in the country.

The effect is epitomized by the phrase (commonly attributed to Joseph Stalin), "A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic."

See also

• List of cognitive biases

References

Bibliography

• Collins, Rebecca L.; Taylor, Shelley E.; Wood, Joanne V.; Thompson, Suzanne C. (1988). "The vividness effect: Elusive or illusory?" (PDF). Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 24 (1): 1–18. doi:10.1016/0022-1031(88)90041-8. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Kogut, Tehila; Ritov, Ilana (2005). "The "identified victim" effect: an identified group, or just a single individual?" (PDF). Journal of Behavioral Decision Making. 18 (3): 157–167. doi:10.1002/bdm.492.
• Loewenstein, G., Small, D., Strnad, J. "Statistical, identifiable, and iconic victims" in Edward J. McCaffery, Joel Slemrod (2006). Behavioral public finance. Russell Sage Foundation; pp. 32–35. ISBN 0-87154-597-7