Differences in motivations of paid versus nonpaid volunteers.
143 AmeriCorps volunteers (30 men; 113 women) and 127 college student volunteers (43 men; 84 women) completed the Volunteer Functions Inventory to assess whether monetary compensation was associated with choice to volunteer to provide educational services, e.g., tutoring, mentoring. Based on Snyder's 1993 theory of functionalism, motives of paid (AmeriCorps participants) and nonpaid (college students) volunteers were expected to differ. It was also predicted that the motives of female and male volunteers would differ. Multivariate analysis of variance confirmed these assumptions. In general, paid male participants reported perceiving numerous benefits associated with volunteering and reported stronger beliefs about such benefits. Female participants reported motives for volunteering, in contrast, which were not linked with monetary compensation. The women reported recognizing the benefits of volunteering and engaging in this activity for egoistic reasons. Their reported motives had little relation to compensation.
Gerstein
Lawrence H
LH
Ball State University, Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services, TC622, Muncie, IN 47306, USA. rangzen@aol.com
Wilkeson
David A
DA
Anderson
Heather
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004989:Ethics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011594:Psychometrics; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D014838:Volunteers / Q000523:psychology*