Simple Reciprocal Fairness Message to Enhance Non-Donor’s Willingness to Donate Blood

Ferguson, Eamonn; Edwards, Abigail R.A.; Masser, Barbara M.

Abstract

Background: Against a background of declining blood donor numbers, recruiting new donors is critical for the effective operations of healthcare providers. Thus, interventions are needed to recruit new blood donors.

Purpose: We provide initial evidence for Voluntary Reciprocal Altruism (VRA) to enhance non-donors’ willingness to become blood donors. VRA interventions involve asking two questions: one on accepting a blood transfusion if needed and one on willingness to donate. As early trials often use self-reports of willingness to perform blood donation behavior, we derive a correction factor to better estimate actual behavior. Finally, we explore the effect of VRA interventions on two prosocial emotions: gratitude and guilt.

Methods: Across three experiments (two in the UK and one in Australia: Total N = 1,214 non-donors) we manipulate VRA messages and explore how they affect both reported willingness to make a one-off or repeat blood donation and influence click through to blood donation, organ donation and volunteering registration sites (behavioral proxies). We report data from a longitudinal cohort that enables us to derive a correction for self-reported behavioral willingness.

Results: Across the three experiments we show that exposure to a question that askes about accepting a transfusion if needed increased willingness to donate blood with some spillover to organ donor registration. We also show that gratitude has an independent effect on donation and report a behavioral correction factor of .10.
Conclusions: Asking non-donors about accepting a transfusion if needed is likely to be an effective strategy to increase new donor numbers.

Citation

Ferguson, E., Edwards, A. R., & Masser, B. M. (2022). Simple Reciprocal Fairness Message to Enhance Non-Donor’s Willingness to Donate Blood. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 56(1), 89-99. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaab026

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 3, 2021
• Online Publication Date: May 29, 2021
• Publication Date: 2022-01
• Deposit Date: Mar 29, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: May 30, 2022
• Journal: Annals of Behavioral Medicine
• Print ISSN: 0883-6612
• Electronic ISSN: 1532-4796
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 56
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 89-99
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaab026
• Keywords: General Psychology; Psychiatry and Mental health
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5422555
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/abm/article/56/1/89/6288217