Required Volunteers: Community Volunteerism among Students in College Classes

Abstract

Volunteering implies free choice, but people in some situations can feel compelled to volunteer. Hypotheses about students' volunteer work focused on self-determination and sufficiency of justification for their behavior. We examined required versus nonrequired volunteerism, internal and external motivation for volunteering, and attitudes of student volunteers toward their university. The sample was 273 college student nonvolunteers, required volunteers, and nonrequired volunteers. Nonrequired volunteers reported stronger commitment to and satisfaction with their university as well as stronger internal and weaker external motivation to volunteer than did required volunteers. Nonrequired volunteers experienced greater time demands than nonvolunteers did. It might be important to manage service learning programs to enhance students' experience of freedom in their choice to volunteer.