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Journal of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of long-term volunteering and well-being, as past research found a positive relationship between short-term volunteering and wellbeing. This study used a descriptive-comparative-correlational design via survey methodology. The Volunteering and Wellbeing Questionary was administered to (n = 82) participants who were accessed through convenience sampling at a university in the southern United States. As predicted, those who had volunteered long-term (student missionaries) and those planning on long-term volunteering showed significantly higher levels of intrinsic religiosity than those who occasionally volunteered. The occasional volunteer group showed significantly higher levels of extrinsic religiosity. Similarly, the occasional volunteer group had the highest level of anxiety and perfectionism, though results were inconclusive. Within the long-term volunteer group, a significant strong inverse correlation was found between intrinsic and extrinsic life aspirations. Those who had volunteered long-term had greater well-being than those who had not. Limitations and agendas for future research are discussed. Key terms: volunteering, community service, service learning, depression, mental health, well-being, impacts, effects, perfectionism, life aspirations, religiosity and benefits.

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