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Attachment, personality, and volunteering: Placing volunteerism in an attachment-theoretical framework

  • Ayelet Erez*
  • , Mario Mikulincer
  • , Marinus H. van Ijzendoorn
  • , Pieter M. Kroonenberg
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

53 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent studies have emphasized the negative impact of attachment insecurities for prosocial behavior. We examined the unique contribution of attachment insecurities to volunteerism and motives for volunteering beyond the explanatory power of high-order personality traits and assessed the potential roles of motives for volunteering in mediating and moderating the links between attachment insecurities and volunteering. One-hundred fifty-nine Dutch undergraduates completed scales tapping attachment insecurities, engagement in volunteer activities, motives for volunteering, and high-order personality traits. Findings show that attachment insecurities made a unique contribution to volunteerism beyond the explanatory power of personality traits. In addition, self-focused motives for volunteering were found to moderate the link between anxious attachment and volunteering behavior. The discussion focused on the psychological mechanisms by which attachment insecurities affect volunteerism.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)64-74
Number of pages11
JournalPersonality and Individual Differences
Volume44
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2008
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Altruism
  • Attachment theory
  • Caregiving
  • Personality
  • Volunteerism

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