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Presentation by Natasha van Bentum at CAGP conference Apr 2014 on work of Russell james on brain research around legacy giving.
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Legacies and fMRIs: Inside the Mind of the Bequest Donor
Exploring research by Dr. Russell James using neural imaging and experimental psychology
CAGP Conference April 2014Presented by Natasha van Bentum, CFRE
Mini bio, Russell James
Director of graduate studies in Charitable Financial Planning at Texas Tech University
Trained as lawyer; worked as Planned Giving Director
Website EncourageGenerosity.com
See mini-bio here
. . more about Russell James
He also has a website, EncourageGenerosity.com
where he himself is a model of generosity, freely sharing valuable research, lectures, quizzes and videos, etc.
Backgrounder on why Im presenting this session on the work of Russell JamesJames
in 2012, discovered work of Russell James at the Erasmus Centre for Strategic Philanthropy, Netherlands
corresponded with him over the past two years
wrote article in Oct 2012 for Gift Planning in Canada on his latest research
E & O This presentation is
a short overview of complex and detailed research conducted by Dr. James.
Any errors or omissions are mine
Access to technology not normally available to nonprofit sector
Thanks to Texas Techs Neuroimaging Institute, Dr. James has at his doorstep the technology to conduct research that 99.9% of we gift planners would never have access to without a huge investment of research funds.
The next 5 slides are a quick summary of the neural imaging and experimental psychology research
The goal was to gain a framework for a greater understanding of how people make charitable bequest decisions.
The experiment with fMRIs looked at bequest giving, regular giving and volunteering to see how the brain processes these decisions differently
Different areas of the brain activated with bequest decision-making
When it came to bequest giving decisions, different parts of the brain were activated:
the Lingual gyrus, part of the VISUAL system a visualization area
the Precunius, or minds eye, used to take a 3rd person perspective on oneself
Visual Autobiography
Charitable bequest decision making is more about autobiographical connections than the needs of the charity
Experimental psychology results
How do people deal with death-related reminders?
Regardless of terminology or packaging, bequests evoke a strong reminder of reality of ones mortality
Initial reaction to death-related thoughts is to push them out of consciousness
The first-stage defence is avoidance, then distraction, denial, and delay
Avoidance doesnt always work, eg illness
Second-Stage Response is to seek symbolic immortality, a form of autobiographical continuity
Summary (cond)
Fundraisers should consider laying out for the donor how a bequest gift to the organization fits neatly into their autobiography. People often deal with mortality reminders by avoidance, or seeking symbolic immortality. Creating campaigns with artificial deadlines may help to combat avoidance, while emphasizing permanent or named giving projects may offer symbolic immortality.
Preamble on the fMRI process
Recently researchers have used brain science to study economic decision-making.
This combination of neuroscience and economics has spawned the new field of neuroeconomics.
Much work in this new field centers on the use of fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging).
The fMRI allows scientists to see which parts of the brain are working when subjects make economic decisions.
(continued)
When some part of the brain kicks into gear, it uses oxygen. The fMRI detects this depletion of oxygen.
In this way, the fMRI records which parts of the brain "light up" during a decision task.
By combining this with information about what different parts of the brain do, researchers can learn more about how people actually make decisions.
(From This Is Your Brain on Charitable Giving, by Dr. Russell N. James III)
Motivators and de-motivators
Russells research focuses on what motivates individuals to make a leave a legacy as well as what de-motivates them.
In his words . . .
The main areas where I do research are generosity and financial decision-making having to do with charitable giving. Im also interested in how a person perceives satisfaction with regard to their own financial circumstances.
When you look at charitable giving as a whole, about 85 percent engage in charitable giving, and less than 5 percent engage in charitable estate planning.
If it is out of fear, because were talking about a persons death or what is different about that decision, then maybe we could understand those barriers and address them.
Unlike current giving, it is difficult to measure experimental success in bequest fundraising
Ask to receipt may take 40+ years
Identification of distinct cognitive characteristics could inform fundraising strategies sensitive to these differences
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Seminar Tonight:
Estate Planning
What you see
Seminar Tonight:
Your Upcoming Death
What the subconscious sees
Why use fMRI to study bequest decision-making?
Not all parts of decision-making are known to the decision maker
Activation reflects the type of cognitive processes
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Basics of fMRI experiments
Subjects are placed in an MR scanner where they canobserve a video screenand make choices by pressing buttons
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
We can then associate those choices with blood oxygenation levels in different brain regions
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Subjects spend time in the scanner working with the buttons and screen to acclimate to
the environment
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Now some technical details*
*Written while watching the Disney Channel with my 7 year old daughter
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
An fMRI picture of the brain is made up of
thousands of boxes, called voxels, just like me!
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
We voxels are small
usually about the size of one peppercorn
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Inside each of us
voxels are thousands of neurons
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
When a lot of these neurons start to fire,
the body rushes in
oxygen to help
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
This rush of oxygen comes through the blood and makes me start to
change color
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
As my blood oxygen
increases, I get redder
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
And redder
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
If this keeps going, I will be
totally red from all of the oxygen in my
blood
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
The fMRI machine can see my color change because blood with a lot of oxygen (red) is less attracted to magnets than blood without much oxygen (blue).
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
The fMRI machine is measuring a BOLDsignal because the color is
BloodOxygenLevelDependent
High blood oxygen
Low blood oxygen
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
We want to estimate the likelihood that a voxel, or group of voxels, is
activated
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
But, fMRI data does not start like this
Activation
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
fMRI data starts like this
Activation
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
The signal is noisy
1. The brain is noisy
2. The scanner is noisy
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
The brain is constantly active, constantly firing, constantly receiving input, constantly sending instructions
The brain is noisy
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Even conscious thought is scattered. Did you think about something other than fMRI in the last 3 minutes?
The brain is noisy
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
1. Contrasts 2. Repetition
How do we design for noisy brains?
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Think in contrasts
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Task A Task BTask A-Task B
A single image contains much
unrelated brain activations
A contrast can subtract out
the noise
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Think of study results in terms of contrasts
Image of task
A
Image of task
B
Image of task A-
Image of task B
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
We can use a cognitive subtraction
comparison to isolate an activity
- =
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Cognitive subtraction:
the comparison task is identical, except for one
variation of interest
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
The Experiment
A comparison of bequest decision
making with giving and volunteering decision making
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
QuestionWhat brain regions
are differentially activated by
bequest decisions as compared with
giving and volunteering
decisions?
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Exploratory expectations
Increased activation in areas involved in death-related contemplation
Unfortunately, very limited fMRI research on what these areas are
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Death-related words: precuneus Gndel, et al (2003) worked
with subjects who had lost a first-degree relative in the previous year. The only region showing significant activation (at p
Comparison Questions
1. If asked in the next 3 months, what is the likelihood you might GIVE money to ______
2. If asked in the next 3 months, what is the likelihood you might VOLUNTEER time to ____
3. If you signed a will in the next 3 months, what is the likelihood you might leave a BEQUEST gift to _____
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
What areas are more engaged during bequest questions than during giving/ volunteering questions?
A flight through the brain:
http://youtu.be/NKKKE_7aFqM
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Core areas more engaged for bequest
contemplation
Precuneus
Lingual gyrus
Also increased activation was significantly associated with increased projected likelihood of making a charitable bequest
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Visualized autobiography = visualization +3rd person perspective on self
The lingual gyrus is part of the visual system. Damage can result in losing the ability to dream (Bischof & Bassetti, 2004).
The precuneus has been called the minds eye (Fletcher, et al., 1995), is implicated in visual imagery of memories (Fletcher, et al., 2005) and in taking a 3rd person perspective on ones self.
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Precuneus and lingual gyrus activation occurred when subjects were able to vividly relive events in a photo, but not where scenes were only vaguely familiar.
(Gilboa, et al., 2004)
Visualized Autobiography
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Visualized Autobiography
retrieving detailed vivid autobiographical experiences . . is a crucial feature that determines the involvement of hippocampus and two posterior neocortical
regions, precuneus andlingual gyrus, in remote
autobiographical memory.
(Gilboa, et al., 2004, p. 1221)
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Precuneus: Taking a 3rd person perspective on ones self
Differentially involved in observing ones self from an outside perspective (Vogeley & Fink, 2003)
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Applications to practice in
bequest fundraising
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Visual autobiography in practice
Claire Routley has identified the importance of autobiographical connection when interviewing donors with planned bequests, writing, Indeed, when discussing which charities they had chosen to remember, there was a clear link with the life narratives of many respondents
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Visual autobiography in practice
Fundraisers may consider emphasizing the autobiographical connections between the donor and the charity, rather than focusing on the charitys need for funds
Dr. Russell James, Texas Tech University
Bequest narratives
Male, 89 married (Routley, 2011, p. 220-221)
[In my will] theres the Youth Hostel Association, first of all...its where my wife and I met....Then theres the Ramblers Association. Weve walked a lot with the local group...Then finally, the Cancer Research. My father died of cancer and so I have supported them ever since he died.
Female, 63 widowed
(Routley, 2011, p. 220-221)
The reason I selected Help the Aged...it was after my mother died...And I just thought shed been in a care home for probably three or four years. And I just wanted to help the elderly....Id also support things like Cancer Research, because people Ive known have died...An animal charity as well, I had a couple of cats.
Bequest narratives
For many, bequest decision making is emotionally aversive
Defences and avoidance
How do people deal with death-related reminders? Regardless of terminology or packaging, bequests
evoke a strong reminder of the reality of ones mortality
Initial reaction to death-related thoughts is to push them out of consciousness
The first-stage defence is avoidance, then distraction, denial, delay, etc.
Avoidance doesnt always work, eg illness, death of loved one
Second-Stage Response is to seek symbolic immortality, a form of autobiographical continuity
Symbolic Immortality
Symbolic immortality, idea of leaving a legacy that will be remembered
When people are reminded of their own mortality, it changes their decisions
Increases desire for autobiographical heroism
And attachment to community and values
Marketing Tips
Tell life stories of donors whose gift will carry on
Talk about living donors, not those who have died (Leave a Legacy ads should be modified)
Bequest decisions are like visualizing the final chapter in ones own autobiography
On response devices, ask if theyd like to make a bequest in honour of someone
In Closing5 Findings as reported by Michael Rosen in his blog
on the work of Russell James
Bequest giving and current giving stimulate different parts of the brain.
This suggests that different motivators and de-motivators are at work.
Key findings (cond)
Making a charitable bequest decision involves the internal visualization system, specifically those parts of the brain engaged for recalling autobiographical events, including the recent death of a loved one.one.
Key findings (cond)
Charitable bequest decision making engages parts of the brain associated with, what researchers call, management of death salience.
In other words, and not surprisingly, charitable bequest decision making involves reminders of ones mortality.
Thank you to Dr. Russell James
Contact Information
Natasha van Bentum, CFRE
Director, G2
(Give Green Canada / Patrimoine vert)
Tel (250) 477 3474 Pacific Time (GMT-8)
@GiveGreenCanada [email protected]