Masters Theses

Debra Carter

Date of Award

5-1989

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Social Work

Major Professor

Ben P. Granger

Committee Members

Ann Watcher, Denny Johnston, John New

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any differences in the volunteer experience between volunteers who are accompanied by a pet (dog or cat) and volunteers who are not accompanied by a pet when they visit nursing home residents. This study was an attempt to discover what motivates people to volunteer, specifically in the nursing home; what keeps them in the volunteer role; and whether the pet makes a difference in total volunteer satisfaction in regard to initial anxiety felt by the volunteer, process of interaction, and perceived level of acceptance by residents and staff. The sample for this study was composed of 40 volunteers who visit one or more of eleven nursing homes in Knox, Blount, and Anderson counties on a weekly basis. Twenty-one of the volunteers were accompanied by a pet and 19 volunteers visited the residents without a pet. Both groups of volunteers were asked to complete a self-administered 111 item core questionnaire concerning their experience as a nursing home volunteer and a separate addendum. Data were analyzed and compared between the two groups through descriptive statistics, corelation analysis, and t-test. The results of this study suggest that once a person is involved in the volunteer role, there is very little difference in overall satisfaction in the areas of anxiety, interaction, and acceptance between the two groups. None of the six expectations of the study were found to be strongly supported statistically. However, a portion of the population was tapped that would not be currently volunteering without the motivating factor of being accompanied by a pet. Twelve of the 21 pet volunteers stated they would not be volunteering if they were not allowed to bring their pet with them. For this group of volunteers, the pet was a clear motivating factor and appeared to be enhancing overall satisfaction.

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