To continue getting breaking news and the full stories from The Boston Globe, subscribe today.

The Boston Globe

Ideas

Boston.com

Uncommon Knowledge

Give when it hurts

And more surprising insights from the social sciences

By Kevin Lewis

 |   

  January 08, 2012

Why budgets backfire; pain makes us give; don’t bundle gold with bonus dirt; power breeds overconfidence; and a strike against unilateral divorce. With a note to readers about the retraction of a study by Diederik Stapel.

Stay with the story. Get full access to BostonGlobe.com for just 99¢

Unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com for only 99¢ for the first 4 weeks. You can cancel at any time.

  • The FULL story all day: Enjoy all of the high-quality, in-depth journalism in the print edition of the Boston Globe — plus breaking news that's updated 24/7.
  • A truly reader-friendly format: It's online news that looks and reads just like the newspaper — uncluttered, uninterrupted.
  • Breakthrough technology: The responsive design automatically adapts content so it always reads perfectly on the digital device of your choice.
Get started today

Free access for home delivery subscribers.

Just need to link your home delivery account; one easy step.

Link my home delivery account

BostonGlobe.comSubscriber Log In

Contact us for help