Understanding and assessing the motivations of volunteers: a functional approach.

The authors applied functionalist theory to the question of the motivations underlying volunteerism, hypothesized 6 functions potentially served by volunteerism, and designed an instrument to assess these functions (Volunteer Functions Inventory; VFI). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on diverse samples yielded factor solutions consistent with functionalist theorizing; each VFI motivation, loaded on a single factor, possessed substantial internal consistency and temporal stability and correlated only modestly with other VFI motivations (Studies 1, 2, and 3). Evidence for predictive validity is provided by a laboratory study in which VFI motivations predicted the persuasive appeal of messages better when message and motivation were matched than mismatched (Study 4), and by field studies in which the extent to which volunteers' experiences matched their motivations predicted satisfaction (Study 5) and future intentions (Study 6). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Volunteers' motivations: a functional strategy for the recruitment, placement, and retention of volunteers.

A psychological strategy for understanding the motivational underpinnings of volunteerism is described. In a presentation that merges the theoretical interests of researchers with the practical interests of volunteer administrators, six different motivational functions served by volunteerism are identified, and an inventory designed to measure these motivations is presented. The implications of this functional approach for the recruitment, placement, and retention of volunteers are then elaborated. Finally, recommendations are provided for volunteer administrators who seek to increase the number of people who volunteer and to improve their human resource management.

Socialization and situational influences on sustained altruism.

In this conceptual replication and extension of Rosenhan's study of civil rights activists, the sustained altruism (i.e., help that extends over time) of volunteers at a telephone crisis-counseling agency was examined. Using a prospective format, it was predicted that volunteers with a socialization history of exposure to nurturant parents who modeled altruism (autonomous altruists) would exhibit a greater degree of sustained altruism than those with a history of less nurturant parents who modeled altruism to a lesser degree (normative altruists). The altruism of the normative volunteers, however, was expected to increase given certain situational conditions (here, participation in a highly cohesive training group prior to the actual volunteer activity). As predicted, the rate of sustained altruism of normative volunteers in highly cohesive groups was increased to a level comparable to that of autonomous volunteers, while the altruism of autonomous volunteers was not affected by the training group experience. The implications of these findings for research on altruism and its development, as well as some applications to volunteerism, are discussed.