Brain Pictures and Taxes

This article on the Medical News Today website entitled Neural Insights into The Economics of Philanthropy discusses a study where two economists and a cognitive scientist scanned brain activity using fMRI during forced and voluntary monetary contributions. These conditions were meant to simulate the social/economic processes of taxation and donation. The contributions in both cases were sent to a food bank and in both cases, watching the transfers on a monitor caused the pleasure center of the brain to light up, albeit more in the case of voluntary giving than mandatory giving. This is a good study to support Positive Psychology showing that altruism is a potent source of happiness. My first thought, however, is that it will take a nanosecond before this becomes over-interpreted and shows up as evidentiary support for increasing taxes in Congress. I can just see it: “we’re doing you a favor, because taxes are good for your emotional happiness.” The study does not test whether we think the government does a reasonable job of spending the tax money they already collect. Nor does it test giving away the participants OWN money. In each case, the 19 female participants were given an initial $100 grub stake and, after the mandatory donation, could decide whether to give voluntarily or keep it themselves. Personally, I’d be a lot happier about my taxes if I thought they were going to a food bank, too, but I’d be VERY happy if the government would first give me the money they were going to take away.