20 research outputs found
Experience Corps: Changes in Activity Associated With Participation
Experience Corps: Changes in Activity Associated With Participatio
Experience Corps: Health Outcomes of Participation
Experience Corps: Health Outcomes of Participatio
Experience Corps: The Volunteer Experience
Experience Corps: The Volunteer Experienc
Experience Corps: Methodology of Member Outcomes Study
Experience Corps: Methodology of Member Outcomes Stud
Experience Corps: Stipends
Experience Corps: Stipend
Experience Corps: Benefits of Volunteering
Experience Corps: Benefits of Volunteerin
Older Adults in Service to Society
Older Adults in Service to Societ
Physiological Correlates of Volunteering
We review research on physiological correlates of volunteering, a neglected but promising research field. Some of these correlates seem to be causal factors influencing volunteering. Volunteers tend to have better physical health, both self-reported and expert-assessed, better mental health, and perform better on cognitive tasks. Research thus far has rarely examined neurological, neurochemical, hormonal, and genetic correlates of volunteering to any significant extent, especially controlling for other factors as potential confounds. Evolutionary theory and behavioral genetic research suggest the importance of such physiological factors in humans. Basically, many aspects of social relationships and social activities have effects on health (e.g., Newman and Roberts 2013; Uchino 2004), as the widely used biopsychosocial (BPS) model suggests (Institute of Medicine 2001). Studies of formal volunteering (FV), charitable giving, and altruistic behavior suggest that physiological characteristics are related to volunteering, including specific genes (such as oxytocin receptor [OXTR] genes, Arginine vasopressin receptor [AVPR] genes, dopamine D4 receptor [DRD4] genes, and 5-HTTLPR). We recommend that future research on physiological factors be extended to non-Western populations, focusing specifically on volunteering, and differentiating between different forms and types of volunteering and civic participation