Age differences in Olympic volunteering experiences: an examination of generativity and meaning in life
This paper examined differences in generativity and meaning in life among middle-aged and older adult volunteers for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. It was hypothesised that older volunteers would exhibit a stronger association between sense of belonging and meaning in life, whereas middle-aged ones would demonstrate a stronger association between self-esteem and meaning in life. Data were utilised from the Older Olympic Volunteer Project, which collected the information on volunteering experiences among 255 middle-aged and older adults before and after the intensive mega-event. For middle-aged volunteers, the association between self-esteem and meaning in life increased significantly after controlling for socio-demographic factors. Among older volunteers, the association between sense of belonging and meaning in life also strengthened. The associations between self-esteem, sense of belonging and meaning in life were not replicated for the other age group as predicted. Overall, the findings support generative processes linked to volunteering experiences.