Psychology major studies factors that affect donation behavior
| Name: | Eric VanEpps '10 |
| Major: | Psychology, Leadership Studies |
| Minor: | History |
| Academics: | Oldham Scholar National Merit Scholar |
| Activities: | Psychology Teaching Fellow InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Intramural Soccer, Football and Volleyball |
Eric VanEpps is spending the summer on campus doing research on a project, “Compelled to Give: The effect of guilt appeals, monetary anchors, modeling, and moral precommitment on donation behavior,” under his faculty mentor, psychology professor Jeni Burnette.
Describe your research project.
I’m studying how different factors, such as personality traits and morality, influence one’s intentions to donate to or volunteer for a charitable cause. My initial study indicated that intentions to donate predict actual donations and inspired me to focus on the personality trait of agreeableness in conjunction with morality and attitudes toward the homeless. I’ll continue to study how personal traits influence individuals’ subsequent decisions about nonprofit organizations throughout the coming year.
How’d you get involved in the project?
Last summer I was a Burhans Fellow with the University’s Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, and I interned at Mosaic Community Development, a nonprofit organization that works with the homeless in Omaha, Nebraska. The fellowship required me to complete a series of academic assignments in association with my internship, and my final project was a study proposal regarding donation behavior. Working from that initial proposal, I found theories and experimental manipulations that I was interested in studying long-term. That initial proposal eventually grew into my honors project, and this summer research is a part of that honors project.
What prepared you for this opportunity?
Like I said, it was my experience at Mosaic Community Development that gave me a real desire to see how organizations can better raise funds and serve the homeless. As a psychology major, one of the ways I can contribute is by running a study on the types of individuals who can afford to give. I have done research with Dr. Burnette since the fall of my sophomore year, and I’ve been engaged with the psychology department since my first semester, so I feel comfortable designing studies and collecting data. The advice and direction Dr. Burnette has offered me throughout my career at Richmond has prepared me well for this opportunity, showing me how to use data analysis software and how to write grants and secure IRB approval for studies. Now, it is simply a matter of designing studies and recruiting participants.
How do you see this project contributing to your collegiate success during the rest of your time at Richmond?
This project is part of my honors project for the psychology department, so as I continue to uncover the factors that best influence donation behavior, I become more and more capable of writing a compelling article that will eventually be submitted for publication. Beyond that, the opportunity to work in the psychology department for a summer helps me stay better connected with the Teaching Fellow program, preparing me to be a psychology teaching assistant in the fall and feel comfortable in that role. And, maybe most importantly, conducting research this summer removes some of the pressure I would otherwise feel in the fall, giving me a head start on a number of projects and allowing me to focus on coursework and graduate school applications once the fall semester begins.
You’ve got a crystal ball. What’s in store for you after graduation?
I’m currently preparing applications to graduate programs in social psychology, specifically working with professors who have an interest in judgment and decision-making. I’d like to pursue my doctorate and become a professor.
A full day of research lies ahead of you. What’s on your iPod?
Switchfoot, Foo Fighters, Goo Goo Dolls, The White Stripes, Jack Johnson, Jon Foreman, Relient K, Mae, Sam Hart, Coldplay, Colin Hay, a little Mozart, and maybe the occasional Biz Markie.
What book is on your bedside table?
The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs. I absolutely love it.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would go to South Africa in 2010 to attend the World Cup.
What has a liberal arts education at the University of Richmond meant to you?
I have areas of expertise, to be sure, but I can relate to people from virtually any other academic field because of the breadth of knowledge my liberal arts education has afforded me. Furthermore, I have been encouraged to draw connections between fields of interest, incorporating psychology into my papers for leadership studies. I love the opportunity to take courses in film studies, jazz music, and European diplomacy, even though my career plans have little to do with any of those areas.