Some Determinants and Consequences of Helping by the Elderly.

Abstract

Research on helping behavior has focused on help to elderly individuals rather than help by elderly individuals. To investigate the determinants and consequences of helping by older adults, 117 adults, from five Detroit senior citizen residences, with a mean age of 75.6 (67 percent female) completed a personal/demographic questionnaire, including such items as health, finances, and environmental information; the Modified Self-Report Altruism Scale; the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory; and the Philadelphia Geriatric Morale Scale. An analysis of the results showed that older adults do engage in helping behavior and that providing help to others is often the source of considerable satisfaction. Antecedents of helping behavior were health, finances, age, education, occupation, and race, with blacks reporting more helpfulness than whites. Facets of the residential context related to helping were availability of opportunity to provide volunteer service, convenience, owning a car, similarity in ethnic backgrounds, and sense of safety and security. Helping behavior was significantly related to self-esteem and social integration. (Several figures depict the conceptual model of helping by the elderly upon which the study predictions were based.) (BL)

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