Abstract
Psychological well-being indicates individuals’ positive psychological functioning and well-being. A growing body of literature, largely based on adults and old people, suggests that volunteering and charitable donations are related to individuals’ psychological well-being. As emerging adulthood is a vital time for lifespan development, the aim of this study is to examine the effects of volunteering and charitable donation on individuals’ psychological well-being on college students. Relying on theories of altruism and the warm-glow theory, this study estimates the relationships among hours of volunteering, amount of charitable donations, and psychological well-being from 1,871 Chinese college students. The linear regression results indicate that students’ hours of volunteering and the amount of charitable donations in the past year were positively associated with their psychological well-being. Volunteering, compared to charitable donations, had a slightly stronger association with psychological well-being. This study provides a rationale for academic institutions to integrate social service activities into the curriculum as a potential tool to promote students’ psychological well-being.
Highlights
Psychological well-being is a critical indicator of individuals’ positive psychological functioning and general well-being (Ryff and Singer, 1996)
The results suggest that both hours of volunteering and the amount of charitable donations were positively associated with students’ psychological wellbeing, after controlling for all covariates
This study examines the relationships among volunteering, charitable donations, and psychological well-being using a sample of Chinese college students
Summary
Psychological well-being is a critical indicator of individuals’ positive psychological functioning and general well-being (Ryff and Singer, 1996). Multiple aspects compose psychological wellbeing, including self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, and personal growth (Ryff and Singer, 1996). Environmental mastery represents individuals’ competence in manipulating and control environments better for their psychological conditions through physical and mental activities. Personal growth indicates the continued development of one’s potential through growing and expanding (Ryff and Singer, 1996). Psychological well-being has been shown to have close associations with various positive outcomes, including but not limited to better physical and mental wellness
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