Motivations to Volunteer (MTV)

Abstract

The Motivations to Volunteer (MTV) scale, developed by Ram A. Cnaan and Robin S. Goldberg-Glen in 1991, is a widely recognized psychological scale designed to assess the diverse functional reasons individuals choose to engage in volunteerism, particularly within human service organizations. Moving beyond simple altruism, the MTV captures a comprehensive range of motivational factors, including career advancement, social integration, personal growth, protective mechanisms, and adherence to organizational values. The scale comprises 28 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, providing researchers and practitioners with a robust framework for understanding and managing volunteer recruitment and retention based on underlying psychological needs.

Keywords

Volunteerism, Motivation, Functionalist Theory, Human Services, Prosocial Behavior, Scale, Psychometrics, Volunteer Retention.

Authors

Ram A. Cnaan, Robin S. Goldberg-Glen.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the MTV scale is to systematically measure and categorize the complex array of psychological drivers that propel individuals toward voluntary work. By identifying these distinct motivations, researchers and organizational managers can better match volunteer tasks and environments to individual needs, thereby improving both volunteer satisfaction and long-term retention rates. The scale aids in understanding why different demographic groups might be drawn to specific types of volunteering and how organizations can tailor recruitment efforts effectively.

This instrument was crucial in early efforts to apply rigorous psychometrics to the study of volunteer behavior, shifting the focus from purely descriptive studies toward explanatory models rooted in motivational theory.

Construct

The MTV scale measures the multidimensional construct of Volunteer Motivation. This construct is often conceptualized through the lens of the Functionalist Theory, which posits that individuals volunteer because it fulfills specific psychological functions or needs. The 28 items are designed to cover a broad spectrum of motives, ensuring the capture of both intrinsic (value-driven) and extrinsic (egoistic or career-driven) factors.

While the exact factor structure may vary across samples, the scale is typically understood to measure several key dimensions of motivation, including those related to career development, social connection, personal enhancement, protective mechanisms (e.g., escaping loneliness or dealing with personal issues), and value expression (altruism and social justice).

Validity

The original development of the MTV scale ensured strong content validity, deriving items from an extensive review of existing literature and preliminary qualitative data regarding why people volunteer. Subsequent studies utilizing the MTV scale have provided empirical support for its construct validity, demonstrating that the hypothesized motivational factors correlate logically with other established measures of personality, prosocial behavior, and organizational commitment.

The scale has also shown evidence of criterion validity, successfully predicting outcomes such as volunteer tenure, level of satisfaction, and commitment to the organization, thus affirming its ability to measure meaningful variation in motivational type and intensity among those engaged in volunteerism.

Reliability

The MTV scale generally exhibits strong reliability across diverse populations and settings. Measures of internal consistency, typically assessed using Cronbach’s alpha for the derived subscales, consistently indicate that the items measuring a specific motivational factor are internally cohesive. Reported alpha coefficients for the subscales usually fall within the acceptable range for psychological measures (often between 0.70 and 0.85).

The consistency of these results across various studies demonstrates the stability and dependability of the instrument. While the original publication details may require further review for specific test-retest data, the scale is considered reliable for assessing relatively stable motivational characteristics influencing voluntary behavior.

Factor Analysis

The initial factor analysis conducted by Cnaan and Goldberg-Glen (1991) employed Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to simplify the 28 items into a smaller set of latent factors. This analysis was crucial in confirming the scale’s multidimensional structure, supporting the premise of the Functionalist Theory that motivation is complex and multifaceted.

The resulting factors typically cluster items into distinct motivational domains (e.g., career benefits, social bonding, value expression, self-enhancement, and obligation). Subsequent confirmatory factor analyses in later research have largely validated this dimensional structure, suggesting that the MTV successfully differentiates between various reasons for volunteering, which is essential for effective organizational deployment and management.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological scale.

Format: 28-item questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale response format.

Language Available: Primarily English; translated versions exist due to extensive international use.

Population Group: Individuals engaged in or considering volunteer work.

Age Group: Adults (typically 18+).

Population Details: Originally validated on volunteers primarily serving human services agencies, including medical, educational, and social welfare organizations.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their agreement with each statement regarding why they volunteer, using the 5-point scale: 1- Strongly Disagree, 2- Disagree Somewhat, 3- Undecided, 4- Agree Somewhat, 5- Strongly Agree. Subscale scores are calculated by averaging or summing responses within each identified motivational factor.

Keywords

Volunteer Motivation, Cnaan, Goldberg-Glen, Functional Motives, Psychometrics, Scale Development, Social Psychology, Human Services.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in the source document.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in the source document.

Correspondence Address: Not specified in the source document.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was first published in 1991 in the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. The instrument is widely accessible for academic research purposes, particularly through the link provided below. Specific fee requirements for commercial or proprietary use should be confirmed by contacting the authors or the journal publisher.

Reference’s

The instrument can be found at ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240966570

• Cnaan, R. A. (1990). Deployment of volunteers by governmental social services in Israel, Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 17(3), 150-173.
• Cnaan, R. A., & Goldberg-Glen, R. S. (1991). Measuring motivation volunteer in human services. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 27, 269-285.
• Handy, F., Cnaan, R. A., Brudney, J., Meijs, L., Ascoli, U. & Ranade, S. (2000). Public perception of “Who is a Volunteer”: An examination of the net-cost approach from a cross-cultural perspective. Voluntas, 11(1), 45-65.
• Corrigan, Michael W. (2001). Social Exchange Theory, Interpersonal Communication Motives, And Volunteerism: Identifying Motivation to Volunteer and The Rewards and Costs Associated. West Virginia University, M.A. Thesis.
• Cnaan, R. A., & Handy, F. (2005). Towards understanding episodic volunteering. Vrijwillige Inzet Onderzocht, 2(1), 29–35.
• Handy, F., Brodeur, N., & Cnaan, R.A. (2006). Summer on the island: Episodic volunteering in Victoria, British Columbia. Voluntary Action, 7(3), 31-46.

Items of the Motivations to Volunteer (MTV)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. This is an [excellent] educational experience.
2. I agree with this organization’s specific goals and want to assist.
3. If I did not volunteer there would be no one to carry out this volunteer work.
4. I did not have anything else to do with my time.
5. I was lonely.
6. I have more free time now that kids have left home‚ retired‚ widowed‚ divorced.
7. I wanted to gain practical experience toward paid employment or new career.
8. I wanted to broaden my horizons.
9. Being involved with this organization is considered prestigious.
10. Volunteering for others makes me feel better about myself.
11. Volunteering in this agency provides challenging activities.
12. Most people in my community volunteer.
13. Helping people in need improves my regard of my own situation.
14. Volunteering cr‎eates a better society.
15. My employer/school expects their employees/students to provide volunteer community service.
16. Volunteering is opportunity to right social [change] injustices.
17. Volunteering is opportunity to develop relationships with others.
18. Volunteering is an opportunity to work with different age groups.
19. Volunteering is an opportunity to do worthwhile.
20. Volunteering is an opportunity to return good fortune.
21. A relative or friend is/was a client of this organization.
22. I have past experience providing similar service.
23. I am able to relate to the patients/ situation because of my own similar experience.
24. This volunteering gave me an opportunity to vary my weekly activities.
25. Previous contact with professionals in this organization inspired me.
26. Volunteering for this agency enables it to provide more care for less money.
27. It’s a way of following a family tradition of helping those in need.
28. It is God’s expectation that people will help each other.

Response Scale: 1- Strongly Disagree‚ 2- Disagree Somewhat‚ 3- Undecided‚ 4- Agree Somewhat‚ 5- Strongly Agree