Motivation for prosocial behaviour as a determinant of the development of the volunteer movement

Abstract

The article contains operationalisation of the concepts of “volunteerismˮ and “volunteeringˮ, as a result of which it is determined that it is inappropriate to consider the concepts of “volunteerismˮ and “volunteeringˮ as synonyms. The systematisation and generalisation of various methodological approaches in their application to the study of motivation for volunteering have been carried out. The article presents the results of a study aimed at studying the motivation of mutual assistance in society. The object of the study was people engaged in volunteer activities. The research was carried out by the method of personal interview. The study involved 232 volunteers aged 14 to 57. The number of women is 181 (78 %), of men, 51 (22 %). The data collection was carried out by sending a questionnaire in Google form (attachment) to volunteer organisations in Yaroslavl. Using the results of empirical research, it has been shown that the role of empathy in motivation for prosocial behaviour is significant only within the limits of spontaneous behaviour. Volunteering can be seen as a form of pro-social behaviour. It has been established and proven that motivation to engage in volunteer activities does not always depend on the altruistic orientation of the individual. Selfish interests can also motivate people to volunteer. The role of empathy in motivating prosocial behaviour depends on the context in which the decision to provide assistance is made.