Abstract
This investigation examined whether or not a functional analysis was useful in understanding the motives for secondary school students’ motives for volunteering. Specifically, we coded comments from fifteen student interviews into the following five functions: value-expressive, social-adjustive, ego-defensive, knowledge, and social-affirming. We calculated the percentages of students whose responses included each of the five functions and found that the students’ responses were consistent with a functional analysis. The implication of these findings for the creation of a Volunteer Functions Inventory for students is discussed.
Highlights
Clary and Snyder (1991) proposed a functional analysis of prosocial behavior
We report on interviews with fifteen young people
We found that secondary school students’ explanations for their volunteerism were consistent with a functional analysis
Summary
Clary and Snyder (1991) proposed a functional analysis of prosocial behavior. These functions were: value-expressive, social-adjustive, ego-defensive, and knowledge. The value-expressive function recognizes that other people’s welfare influences behavior. The social-adjustive function recognizes that normative influences of significant others influences behavior. The ego-defensive function recognizes that coping with inner conflicts influences behavior. The knowledge function is that greater understanding influences behavior
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