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01-12-2012 | Original Investigation

The moderating role of age in the relationship between volunteering motives and well-being

Authors: Yuen Wan Ho, Jin You, Helene H. Fung

Published in: European Journal of Ageing | Issue 4/2012

Abstract

Driven by socioemotional selectivity theory, this study examined whether age moderated the associations of volunteering motives with physical and psychological well-being in a sample of Hong Kong Chinese volunteers. Volunteering motives were measured by the volunteer functions inventory. Findings revealed that even after controlling for demographic characteristics and volunteering experience, age was related to higher social and value motives but lower career motives, and moderated the associations of social and protective motives with well-being. The associations of social motives with physical well-being were positive among older volunteers, but were negative among younger- and middle-aged volunteers. While protective motives were positively related to psychological well-being among all the volunteers, such effects were stronger among younger- and middle-aged volunteers than among older volunteers. Findings highlight the role of age in determining the relationship between volunteering motives and well-being.

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Title: The moderating role of age in the relationship between volunteering motives and well-being
Authors: Yuen Wan Ho
Jin You
Helene H. Fung
Publication date: 01-12-2012
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: European Journal of Ageing / Issue 4/2012
Print ISSN: 1613-9372
Electronic ISSN: 1613-9380
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-012-0245-5

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