What if you gave them all $100 and told them they would not be taxed at all?

Then what would their pleasure levels be in comparison?

and 14 of them nothing,

but told the first 5 they would be taxed $45

that would then be given to the rest of the girls?

Then you got some fireworks!

Um… I’ll be back later, this sounds promising.

I’m thinking that those researchers should have donated their tax cut savings under Bush to charity instead of spending it on crack.

MarkM on June 14, 2007 at 4:07 PM

This “study” is a crock.

Bill Harbaugh at the University of Oregon == F*cking moron!

georgej on June 14, 2007 at 3:58 PM

My reaction exactly.

Besides… taxation isn’t a personal issue, it’s about the dynamics of the market economy. Even if the orgasm index went off the chart the Laffer Curve still demonstrates that there is a point beyond which tax rates return less revenue.

DANEgerus on June 14, 2007 at 4:24 PM

Dude, we have never been below that rate–or at least since long before FDR was around.

Paying taxes feels good, say researchers.

12 million illegal aliens disagree.

Each volunteer then read a series of 60 separate taxation scenarios involving $0 to $45 in taxes, knowing that one of the scenarios would be selected at random and the related amount be subtracted from their $100.

3 Immeadiate Problems:

1) College students
2) Only 19??!!!!WTF is that for study???
3) College Students

No doubt the “tax” scenarios had to do with a social program that would include tuition and student loans.

What a huge pile of bull****.

Because I hate the damn things (taxes).

I think there is a certain amount of pleasure many people receive from “doing their part”. Makes sense to me.

Otherwise, how could society ever organize a war? Our finest are on the battlefield partly to test themselves, but also in huge measure to protect us.

That is why I don’t put much stock in “Ayn Rand smoking’s cool abortion’s groovy” ideas, although she’s right on capitalism.

Mostly. But not pure capitalism. Anethema to her, a mixed economy weighted heavily toward free markets functions best.

Where I call BS on this study is conservatives dislike taxes most, but also donate far and away more money than liberals. But the authors say the two behaviors are closely linked.

This makes me question their data, methadology, and/or conclusions.

Exactly right, it matters nothing that people wouldn’t mind giving away part of their “found” money, it does matter that people don’t want to part with money they worked hard for.

It is a flawed study and I agree it’s the media salting the public opinion in preparation for the DEMs upcoming social experiment in global redistribution of wealth.

“Tax the rich, feed the poor, till there are no rich no more”. Listen carefully to the DEM overlords folks, get that money offshore and protected or you won’t have it long come 2008.

These brain scans suggest that donating money creates an even greater boost in brain reward centres than paying mandatory taxes.

I’ll admit if I donate money to a worthwhile cause of my choosing I get a warm fuzzy – just like the warm fuzzy I get when my tax bill is cut.

Thanks, AP. I’m in a bad mood now.

I have confirmation of the study. I polled every customer at our local Starbucks who was a) female, b) had a post in her nose, c) didn’t tell me to go “eF myself you breeder”…

And I can confirm the results of the study that, if I offered to give them $100 they would still feel good about it, even if they had to give away $45 of that gift, provided it wasn’t to fund the military-industrial-complex.

In fact… most said they would feel ‘good’ about giving away the $45 of the $100 I just gave them.

I was shocked.

Not even Barry Obama can keep his mitts clean. [Wizbang Politics] The surge is definitely accomplishing … something. [Passport] Judge Reggie whatever his name is is sending Libby to prison just so his phone will stop ringing. [Fresh Intelligence…

There is about to be a Waco/RubyRidge stand-off.

Personally, I hope if it comes to shooting, that they kill a bunch of Federal Agents.

For anyone who thinks that if offensive, remind yourself how many times you have said, “If they ban guns, they’ll take them from me by force.” The only difference is that these guys are standing up for their private property and income, not just their guns.

Hire fifty college girls to shovel shit on a hot day for eight long hours.

Pay them each a hundred bucks at the end of the day.

Ask them how much of that they want to contribute to the government.

The thing they are responding to is the uncertainty. When you say “here’s $100, but I’m gonna take some back” – the brain responds to the uncertainty, the unknown.

Upon reading the rules and boundaries, the “positive” response is from the sense of relief.

What people “dread” about taxes is the uncertainty of what they will have to pay each year.

This sounds like proof of the value of a flat tax to me.

Well, I’m going to go out and see what happens when I offer $100 to a female college student …

Paying taxes feels good, say researchers.

So does taking a shit. Interestingly enough both produce waste and are accompanied by the sound of a toilet flushing…

soulsirkus on June 14, 2007 at 3:48 PM

excellent analogy.

As a matter of fact, the more liberal they are, the more unhappy they are.

Ann on June 14, 2007 at 5:08 PM

I wonder why that is – considering their “share the wealth” mentality. I guess as long as it’s not their wealth they have to share…

PS…I would love to pay “hypothetical” taxes!

serenity on June 14, 2007 at 3:29 PM

Hypothetical is always easier when someone else is paying the real bill.