Psychological Functions of Volunteering
Back to: Volunteering
geralt, pixabay“
The American psychologists E. Gil Clary and Mark Snyder examined the reasons, purposes and motivations of active and previous volunteers and developed the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI).It identifies six personal and social functions served by volunteering1.
Here a short overview:
I feel that it is important to help others.
The volunteer seeks to learn more about the world or exercise unused skills.A typical statement:
Volunteering lets me learn through direct experience.
Persons seek for psychological growth and development through volunteer activities. A typical statement:
Volunteering makes me feel better about myself.
Volunteers have the aim of gaining career-related experience through volunteering. A typical statement:
Volunteering can help me to get my foot in the door at a place where I would like to work.
Volunteering can help individuals to strengthen their social relationships. A typical staement:
People I know share an interest in community service.
The individual uses volunteering to reduce negative feelings, e.g. guilt, or to address personal problems. A typical statement:
Volunteering is a good escape from my own troubles.