http://pubpolicy.com/2009/07/20/wallet/
How to Get Your Wallet Back
Richard Wiseman, the psychologist who brought us LaughLab, and their quest to find the world's funniest joke, has come out with another piece of interesting research. Professor Wiseman tried to determine what factors increased the chances of getting a lost wallet returned. He found that wallets containing baby pictures were returned at a significantly higher rates than other wallets.
To perform the experiment, Wiseman and his team planted over 500 wallets around different parts of Edinburgh with different objects behind the clear plastic window. Overall, 42 percent of the wallets were returned, but those with a baby picture were returned at a much higher rate "” 88 percent. Next came a puppy photo (53 percent), followed by a family photo (48 percent), and finally a photo of an elderly couple (28 percent). Trailing all other objects, at 20 per cent, was a card identifying the wallet owner as a recent charitable donor. Curiously, the lowest overall return rate was experienced by the control wallets "” indicating that having something in the wallet is better than nothing at all. Perhaps this is because empty wallets may be considered as discarded.
Possibly, the reason for baby pictures doing so well is that humans have an innate desire to protect babies, and returning money to their parents is one way to do so. Dr. Wiseman stated, "If you want to increase the chances of your wallet being returned if lost, obtain a photograph of the cutest baby you can find, and ensure that it is prominently displayed."
How to Get Your Wallet Back
Richard Wiseman, the psychologist who brought us LaughLab, and their quest to find the world's funniest joke, has come out with another piece of interesting research. Professor Wiseman tried to determine what factors increased the chances of getting a lost wallet returned. He found that wallets containing baby pictures were returned at a significantly higher rates than other wallets.
To perform the experiment, Wiseman and his team planted over 500 wallets around different parts of Edinburgh with different objects behind the clear plastic window. Overall, 42 percent of the wallets were returned, but those with a baby picture were returned at a much higher rate "” 88 percent. Next came a puppy photo (53 percent), followed by a family photo (48 percent), and finally a photo of an elderly couple (28 percent). Trailing all other objects, at 20 per cent, was a card identifying the wallet owner as a recent charitable donor. Curiously, the lowest overall return rate was experienced by the control wallets "” indicating that having something in the wallet is better than nothing at all. Perhaps this is because empty wallets may be considered as discarded.
Possibly, the reason for baby pictures doing so well is that humans have an innate desire to protect babies, and returning money to their parents is one way to do so. Dr. Wiseman stated, "If you want to increase the chances of your wallet being returned if lost, obtain a photograph of the cutest baby you can find, and ensure that it is prominently displayed."
