Is Self-Transcendence Philanthropic? Graded Response Model Approach

Strong feelings of altruism significantly explain prosocial and pro-environmental behaviors, but the latent trait biosphere does not explain pro-environmental behavior such as past volunteering in clean-up activities. Subjects, whether overseas graduates or not, are more altruistic than biospheric by nature. Using the Graded Response Model, the study found that biosphere and altruism are independent of each other; merging them into a single dimension called self-transcendence makes the construct less reliable. Consistent with previous studies, the effect of self-transcendence could not be detected statistically, as it affects both past volunteering in environmental affairs and past volunteering in social welfare.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This study reveals that strong feelings of altruism were found to be statistically significant in explaining prosocial and pro-environmental behaviors. However, this was not the case for the latent trait biosphere in explaining pro-environmental behavior (e.g., past volunteering in clean-up activities). Regardless of whether they are overseas graduates or not, subjects in this study are more altruistic than biospheric by nature. Using the Graded Response Model (GRM) approach, the study found that the biosphere and altruism are obviously independent of each other and merging them into one dimension, in this instance referred to as “self-transcendence,” makes the construct less reliable. That is why this study in consistence with previous studies could not detect the effect of self-transcendence statistically, as it affects both the past volunteering in environmental affairs and the past volunteering in social welfare.