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Differences in types and levels of altruism based on gender and program
1Speech Pathology, University of Newcastle, Cardiff, New South Wales, Australia. nicole.byrne@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au
Journal of Allied Health
|May 1, 2008
Summary
Altruism doesn't differ between helping professions or sexes, but men and women entering these fields cite different motivations: societal vs. individual focus, respectively.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Career Development
Background:
- Career choice is influenced by interests, personality, family, abilities, and values.
- Altruism is explored as a potential motivator for selecting careers in the helping professions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine altruism levels among students in five helping professions (speech pathology, education, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, social work).
- To investigate potential differences in altruism based on program choice and sex.
- To qualitatively explore altruistic motives for career choice in helping professions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an altruism scale to measure intention to help others.
- Conducted interviews to gather qualitative data on altruistic motivations.
- Analyzed data to compare altruism levels across programs and sexes.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in self-reported altruism were found between the five helping programs.
- No significant differences in self-reported altruism were found between male and female students.
- Qualitative interview data revealed distinct altruistic focuses: men emphasized societal benefit, while women focused on individual needs.
Conclusions:
- Quantitative measures show no difference in altruism based on program or sex in helping professions.
- Qualitative findings suggest nuanced, sex-based differences in altruistic motivations for choosing helping careers.
- Understanding these distinct motives can inform future student recruitment strategies for the helping professions.
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