網絡可以實現很多線下募捐無法實現的功能。眾多網絡公益平臺在捐款頁面推出了一項設置:金額隨緣。研究通過2個實驗考察了這種"隨緣"設置對捐贈金額的影響,發現"隨緣"設置顯著降低了個人捐贈金額,內在機制是隨緣設置削弱了人們在捐贈中的感知到的控制感。另外,研究還發現了個體差異:隨緣對于捐贈的負面影響只存在于控制欲水平比較高的消費者身上。而對于低控制欲的個體而言,"隨緣"對個體捐贈金額不存在顯著影響。

Suiyuan is a newly-emerged setting that has been applied in several online fundraising platforms. Users press a button of "Suiyuan", then the system will generate a random number for the user to donate. This research showed that it actually reduced charitable giving via 2 experiments. Suiyuan diminishes people’s sense of control, which in turn reduces giving. Moreover, the negative effect of Suiyuan on giving is greater for those users with strong desire for control. This research shed light on current fundraising practices.