Volunteering in Transition: Psychological Motivations Across Traditional, Episodic, and Digital Forms.
Episodic and digital forms of engagement have been marking volunteering as in transition. Individuals tend to engage in volunteering activities in multiple ways other than traditional volunteering, that is, an enduring activity, long‐term and organization‐centred volunteering. While episodic volunte...
| Published in: | Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology Vol. 36; no. 4; pp. 1 - 15 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
| Format: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Published: |
Wiley-Blackwell
Jul/Aug2026
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=195682175&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 195682175 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 10529284 59A jtl: Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology issn: 10529284 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: Jul/Aug2026 vid: 36 iid: 4 pid: 480 pub: Wiley-Blackwell place: Malden, Massachusetts artinfo: ui: 195682175 195682175 195682175 10.1002/casp.70302 195682175 ppf: 1 ppct: 14 formats: tig: atl: Volunteering in Transition: Psychological Motivations Across Traditional, Episodic, and Digital Forms. aug: au: Mutti, Martina Tommasi, Francesco Marano, Biagio Gatti, Flora de Cordova, Federica Meneghini, Anna Maria Procentese, Fortuna Marta, Elena Pozzi, Maura affil: Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy sug: subj: Volunteer Experiences Motivation Evaluation Internet Social Change Human Funding Source Male Female Qualitative Studies Focus Groups Adult Middle Age Aged Audiorecording Thematic Analysis Psychological Tests Organizational Culture Community Health Services Personal Growth Relational Autonomy Italy Adult: 19-44 years Middle Aged: 45-64 years Aged: 65+ years Male Female ab: Episodic and digital forms of engagement have been marking volunteering as in transition. Individuals tend to engage in volunteering activities in multiple ways other than traditional volunteering, that is, an enduring activity, long‐term and organization‐centred volunteering. While episodic volunteering refers to occasional forms of engagement, digital volunteering represents the new avenue of engagement via information technologies and the internet. This research examines how motivations to start and maintain engagement differ among individuals across various volunteering forms. We did so by conducting a qualitative study based on nine focus groups involving 67 volunteers (age mean = 44, 45% female). Reflexive thematic analysis confirms the applicability of functionalist motivations yet identifies emergent motives unique to each volunteering form. Traditional and digital volunteers initiate volunteering for social change, whereas episodic volunteers prioritize practical engagement. Regarding sustained commitment, traditional volunteers emphasize organizational belonging, episodic volunteers focus on perceived community impact, and digital volunteers prioritize autonomy and personal growth. These results demonstrate how the evolving landscape of volunteerism reflects shifts in individual motivations, contributing new insights to social and community psychology. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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