Social background, personality and attitudinal factors influencing the decision to volunteer and level of involvement among adult 4-H leaders

The social background, personality, and attitudinal factors influencing the decision to volunteer and level of involvement among adult 4-H leaders was studied. The Smith-Sequential Specificity Model of Voluntary Participation was used to hypothesize the influence on of these factors on voluntary participation. The measures of voluntary participation were continued participation as a 4-H leader, years of service as a 4-H leader, hours spent per moth at the local level, hours spent per year at area and state events. The strongest associations were found between voluntary participation and the social background factors of age of leaders and length of residence in the community. Analysis revealed that the factors age, years as a 4-H member, whether children were in 4-H or not, and attractiveness of 4-H had a direct positive influence on a leader's length of service and the occupational status of laborer had a direct negative influence on length of service.