ABSTRACT
The field of psychology has anchored its main body of research on volunteerism in the motivational reasons why individuals volunteer (Haski-Leventhal, 2009). This is, in short, because of the human nature of being altruistic and other-oriented (Batson, 1991; Hoffman, 1978). Altruism is defined as the unselfish concern of human beings for the welfare of others. It is also a ‘golden rule’ of ethics that people should sacrifice themselves for others with no feelings of obligation or duty. In its purest form, altruism is presented without regard for external rewards or recognition (Krebs, 1970). However, it has been questioned that if one performs an act for the purpose of benefitting others initially, and does so without motivation for personal gain but because of the nature of the act, and if the person who performs the act also has personal gains, is then the act still considered altruistic? The actual gains from volunteerism could be in the forms of happiness through helping others, or personal growth by helping others (Edwards, Safrit, Gliem & Rudd, 2006; Haski-Leventhal, Ronel, York & Ben-David, 2008). It is, therefore, argued that in order to be truly altruistic, a person has to exhibit an altruistic behavior but not just altruistic motivation. Empathy-altruism distinguishes the motivation of volunteers who help those in need because of experiencing a feeling of empathy for others, apart from the focus on the volunteer’s own welfare (Batson & Oleson, 1991; Krebs, 1975; Rosenhan, Salovey & Hargis, 1981). Furthermore, since the immaterial gains of “happiness” or “fulfillment” after helping others are basically not measurable, it is impossible to prove which comes first—gains for others or gains for self. Therefore, it is generally agreed upon that we need not speculate about volunteer motives but seek to understand the function of volunteer motives to self and others.
