Volunteer decision making by older people: A test of a revised theory of planned behavior

This study was designed to test the utility of a revised theory of planned behavior in the prediction of intentions to volunteer among older people. S uch a perspective allowed for the consideration of a broader range of socia l and contextual factors than has been examined in previous research on vol unteer decision making among older people. The article reports the findings from a study that investigated volunteer intentions and behavior in a rand om sample of older people aged 65 to 74 years living in an Australian capit al city. Results showed that, as predicted by the revised theory of planned behavior, intention to volunteer predicted subsequent reported volunteer b ehavior. Intention was, in turn, predicted by social norms (both subjective and behavioral), perceived behavioral control, and moral obligation, with the effect of attitude being mediated through moral obligation.