Beliefs about Volunteerism, Volunteering Intention, Volunteering Behavior, and Purpose in Life among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong

Ben M F Law,Daniel T L Shek

doi:10.1100/tsw.2009.32

Abstract

The relationships among beliefs about volunteerism, volunteering intention, volunteering behavior, and purpose in life were examined in this study. A total of 5,946 participants completed a series of scales, including the Revised Personal Functions of Volunteerism Scale, Volunteering Intention Scale, and Purpose in Life Scale. The results showed that participants whose purpose in life had different levels also had varied prosocial beliefs about volunteerism, volunteering intention, and volunteering behavior. Purpose in life was associated more strongly with prosocial value function than with other types of beliefs (except understanding function). When different beliefs are grouped, the correlation between purpose in life and other-serving beliefs was higher than that between purpose in life and self-serving beliefs. Purpose in life was also associated with volunteering intention and behavior. Path analyses showed that purpose in life predicted volunteering behavior via beliefs and intention. While other-serving beliefs predicted volunteering behavior directly, self-serving beliefs did not have such direct effect.

Highlights

IntroductionHuman beings have shown enthusiasm in relation to acts that allow them to pursue their purpose in life
This study aims to explore the relationship between purpose in life and volunteerism among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong
Except the understanding function, Purpose in Life Scale (PIL) scores were found to be strongly correlated with prosocial beliefs compared with other self-serving beliefs

Summary

Introduction

Human beings have shown enthusiasm in relation to acts that allow them to pursue their purpose in life. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal reported huge sales figures posted for Rick Warren’s best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life[1]. This idea has been explored in previous literary works. Ralph Waldo Emerson stated once that, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”. People with a higher level of purpose in life tend to have a

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion