Getting the Measure of Prosocial Behaviors: A comparison of participation and volunteering data in the National Child Development Study and the linked Social Participation and Identity Study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Getting the Measure of Prosocial Behaviors

T2 - A comparison of participation and volunteering data in the National Child Development Study and the linked Social Participation and Identity Study

AU - Brookfield, Katherine

AU - Parry, Jane

AU - Bolton, Vicki

N1 - © The Author(s) 2018.

PY - 2018/7/23

Y1 - 2018/7/23

N2 - Measures of prosocial behavior can influence policy, legislation, investment, and inform assessments of the overall state of society. Evidence suggests that methods are important in determining these measures. To widen and deepen our understanding of the complex relationship between these items, we compared participation and volunteering data from a national birth cohort study (National Child Development Study [NCDS]) with data from a linked qualitative study, the Social Participation and Identity Study (SPIS). We evaluated the strengths and prosocial behavior content of each and explored possible links between their respective methodologies and participation and volunteering estimates. We found that prompts and probes were associated with higher estimates and narrow filter questions with lower estimates. The SPIS afforded detailed insights into lived experiences and personal narratives of volunteering and participating, whereas the NCDS supported analysis of these behaviors over time and from a lifecourse perspective. Implications for researchers and policy makers are considered.

AB - Measures of prosocial behavior can influence policy, legislation, investment, and inform assessments of the overall state of society. Evidence suggests that methods are important in determining these measures. To widen and deepen our understanding of the complex relationship between these items, we compared participation and volunteering data from a national birth cohort study (National Child Development Study [NCDS]) with data from a linked qualitative study, the Social Participation and Identity Study (SPIS). We evaluated the strengths and prosocial behavior content of each and explored possible links between their respective methodologies and participation and volunteering estimates. We found that prompts and probes were associated with higher estimates and narrow filter questions with lower estimates. The SPIS afforded detailed insights into lived experiences and personal narratives of volunteering and participating, whereas the NCDS supported analysis of these behaviors over time and from a lifecourse perspective. Implications for researchers and policy makers are considered.

KW - NCDS

KW - SPIS

KW - methodology

KW - participation

KW - volunteering

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85050557694&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/0899764018786470

DO - 10.1177/0899764018786470

M3 - Article

SN - 0899-7640

VL - 47

SP - 1081

EP - 1101

JO - Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly

JF - Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly

IS - 5

ER -