Narcissism and the Motivation to Engage in Volunteerism

Two studies investigated the extent to which narcissism was associated with volunteer motivation. Study 1 investigated a sample of United Way volunteers and Study 2 examined a sample of college student volunteers. As hypothesized, results found that narcissists tend to volunteer for self-interest rather than for humanitarian values. Results remained significant even while controlling for self-esteem (Studies 1 and 2) and empathic concern (Study 2). Discussion involves the current climate for volunteerism, which includes mandated volunteering as part of high school graduation and other requirements.