The Relationship Between Emotional Maturity and Altruism In Covid-19 Volunteers

Abstract

Altruism is a positive and necessary characteristic especially during crisis condition; Covid-19 pandemic being one of the example. A degree of altruism is needed to mobilize people to help each other by providing necessary care. Voluteers of Covid-19 pandemic, especially, have been driven to provide help and crisis-related actions by alleviating the suffering of others on a voluntary basis without expecting anything in return. In the midst of global anxiety toward the disease, Covid-19 volunteers from over the world still provide necessary assistance and support to Covid-19 patients and related community impacted by the pandemic. Studies have identified factors influencing altruism, which are: emphaty, mood, emotional maturity, situational and personal characteristics. This study aims to contribute to the discussion of altruism in the context of Covid-19 pandemic, by examining relationship between emotional maturity and altruism in Covid-19 volunteers in East Java, Indonesia. The subject of this research are Covid-19 volunteers who were based in East java and who work either in hospitals that handle Covid-19 patients or those who provide pro-bono services within the Covid-19 crisis intervention framework in the country. A total sample of 125 volunteers were taken using purposive sampling technique. This research utilizes non-experimental quantitative method with a correlational approach. The questionnaire-based data collection technique was presented in the form of a Likert scale consisting of an altruism scale, and a scale of emotional maturity. Hypothesis testing was carried out by Pearson’s product moment analysis techniques. The result of the analysis showed that there was a significant relationship between emotional maturity and altruism.
Keywords: Altruism, emotional maturity, volunteer, Covid-19 pandemic