Exploring the Impact of Emotional Valence in Advertisements and Compassion Fade on Donation Intention for War Victims

In the context of the largest war of the twenty-first century in Ukraine, current research seeks to investigate the messaging strategies that will inspire individuals to donate to war victims. Prior research has explored the effectiveness of positive and negative appeals in charitable advertising [1–3]. Some studies suggest that negative appeals, invoking emotions such as sadness [4] and anger [5], may be more effective in motivating donations. However, the mixed findings of previous studies and the evolving modern media environment necessitate a closer examination, especially given the drastic changes in the pace and forms of non-profit communications over the past decade. Furthermore, the phenomenon of compassion fade, defined as the negative correlation between the willingness to help and the number of victims, adds a layer of complexity to understanding donor behavior. In this study, it was proposed that negatively framed appeals would elicit more favorable attitudes toward donation. Emotions of different valences, including sadness, anger, compassion, hope, and pride, were expected to play mediating roles in this process. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, the results revealed that positive framing was more effective in fostering favorable attitudes and donation intentions. This study specifically addresses the role of hope, an emotion found to mediate this relationship. Another notable finding, the difference in donation amounts influenced by perceived need and victim’s identifiability, adds a new dimension to the understanding of compassion fade phenomenon. The study provides valuable recommendations for charitable organizations, emphasizing the importance of positive messaging and the careful consideration of emotional appeals to effectively engage donors and support war victims.