The Goodness of Giving: an Exploration of the Effects of Having a Charitable Orientation on Perceived Wellness
Year: 2010
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Is there a positive relationship between doing good and feeling well?Does demonstrating behavior that is charitable in nature lead to a greater sense of well-being?While much of the literature regarding charitable behavior is focused on the motivation for giving, relatively little is understood about the outcomes of giving behavior.Using a model developed from social exchange theory and data from the 2004 General Social Survey, structural equation modeling was employed to explore this relationship.Testing the Charitable Activity -Perceived Wellness Relationship model led to acceptance of the finding that participation in charitable activity is positively related to an individual's selfperception of well-being.Furthermore, income, education, and having a religious orientation were found to be positively related to self-reported well-being.These effects were enhanced by participation in charitable activity.The results of this study have potential uses for financial planning practitioners, policy makers, and others with interests in family resource management issues and wellbeing.The possible avenues for further study include refinement of the model, development of a conceptual framework for teaching and research in family resource management, and the integration of other theories related to charitable giving such as the Identification Theory of Care and the Aquinian concept of caritas.
Author: Ann Woodyard
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Boston College
OpenAlex ID: W53619544