2,919
Views
49
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

The power of connections: Psychological sense of community as a predictor of volunteerism

&
Pages 272-290 | Received 28 May 2015, Accepted 04 Oct 2015, Published online: 11 Apr 2016
 

ABSTRACT

Two studies explored psychological antecedents of volunteerism, including several dispositional constructs and psychological sense of community (PSOC). In Study 1, 140 retirees completed measures of empathy, self-esteem, generativity, and PSOC, as well as involvement in volunteer organizations and weekly volunteering hours at two points in time. PSOC predicted concurrent and future volunteerism even after controlling for the other predictors. In Study 2 (n = 427), PSOC and measures of environmental concern and connectedness were used to predict current environmental volunteerism and activism. PSOC was the only measure reliably and uniquely related to these behaviors. Across two different domains and operationalizations of PSOC, the findings support the validity and utility of PSOC for understanding general and issue-specific volunteerism. More generally, they highlight social relationships and psychological connections as potential pathways to volunteerism and social action.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Allen M. Omoto

Allen M. Omoto, PhD, is a Social Psychologist whose research interests focus on interpersonal processes and, specifically, on the social and psychological aspects of prosocial behavior and broader civic and political engagement. He also conducts research on issues related to the environment, HIV disease, and lesbian, gay, and bisexual concerns.

Cody D. Packard

Cody D. Packard, MA, is a Social Psychology graduate student, interested in how people’s morals influence their behavior, and how their behavior influences their morals. His current research also focuses on the impact that negative attitudes about nature can have on people’s pro-environmental behavior.

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 53.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 168.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.