title: Differences in social representation of blood donation between donors and non-donors: an empirical study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Both donors and non-donors have a positive image of blood donation, so donors and non-donors do not differ regarding their views on donation but do differ in converting their opinion into an active deed of donation. Several studies have identified altruism and empathy as the main factors underlying blood donation. However, a mixture of various motivational factors mould the complex behaviour of donation. This paper presents an exploratory study on differences of social representations of blood donation between blood donors and non-donors, in order to understand the reasons that bring someone to take the decision to become a blood donor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants filled in the Adapted Self-Report Altruism Scale, Toronto Empathy Questionnaire and answered a test of verbal association. Descriptive and correlation analyses were carried out on quantitative data, while a prototypic analysis was used for qualitative data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study was carried out on a convenience sample of 786 individuals, 583 donors (mean age: 35.40 years, SD: 13.01 years; 39.3% female) and 203 non-donors (mean age: 35.10 years, SD: 13.30 years; 67.5% female). Social representations of donors seem to be more complex and articulated than those of non-donors. The terms that appear to be central were more specific in donors (life, needle, blood, help, altruism were the words most associated by non-donors; life, aid, altruism, solidarity, health, love, gift, generosity, voluntary, control, needed, useful, needle were the words most associated by donors). Furthermore, non-donors associated a larger number of terms referring to negative aspects of blood donation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aspects related to training and the accuracy of any information on blood donation seem to be important in the decision to become a donor and stabilise the behaviour of donation over time, thus ensuring the highest levels of quality and safety in blood establishments.
authors.affiliation: Parisian Laboratory of Social Psychology (LAPPS), University Paris 8 Vincennes Saint-Denis, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guarnaccia
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological, Pedagogic and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giannone
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological, Pedagogic and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Falgares
authors.affiliation: Italian Federation of Blood Donors Associations (FIDAS), Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Aldo Ozino
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Caligaris
authors.affiliation: Parisian Laboratory of Social Psychology (LAPPS), University Paris 8 Vincennes Saint-Denis, Paris, France.|Laboratory of Social Psychology and Sport Management - University of Burgundy, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sales-Wuillemin