Voluntary Association Participation and Life Satisfaction: Replication, Revision, and Extension

Abstract

A secondary analysis of a national sample of American adults is used to examine the correlation between membership in voluntary associations and life satisfaction. It is hypothesized that the influence of membership on overall life satisfaction is indirect: Membership influences organizational satisfaction; in turn, organizational satisfaction influences satisfaction with life as a whole. The findings suggest that the hypothesized pattern of relationships is not ubiquitously present for all four of the older age categories studied. Such differences suggest the critical importance of utilizing age-appropriate rather than generic indicators when studying these issues.