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Friday, April 19, 1991 / University Daily Kansan
Prof researches effects of volunteering with AIDS patients
Kansan staff writer
After a full day of classes, loads of homework and an after-school job, the last thing a busy student wants to do is volunteer work.
But Allen Omoto, assistant professor of psychology, thinks the extra
"People can get a lot out of volunteer work," he said. "There are a lot of rewards. You can help a lot of people and feel
good about helping others.''
For more than three years, Omoite has been researching how working with people with AIDS affects volunteers.
He and four KU graduate students are examining volunteers. Five colleagues at the University of Minnesota also are involved.
Omoto is looking at three stages in the volunteer process. First, he is concerned with who does AIDS volunteer work and why. He said that although reasons varied, the most popular motivation for a person doing such work was humanitarian concerns.
The final stage involves the effects that volunteering has on people — how they have been changed, how their attitude changes, and if they have more knowledge about AIDS.
The second stage of Omoto's research examines the direct relationship between the volunteers and their clients.
"There's a lot of potential changes
that could take place by working with
clients and suppliers."
He and his research team are using psychological theories to guide their
Theories and research from social psychology are helping us to
Jim Berghus, Holland, Mich., graduate student, is working with Omoo. He said volunteers were an important help in helping people who must live with AIDS.
frame the questions from each of these stages and they are we address them.
"It's important mainly because it's a problem," he said of AIDS. "Since there isn't a cure now, there's only going to be more and more people who need it." He video a very important aspect in terms of helping people with AIDS."
Berghuis also is analyzing data from a national survey the research
team designed to study volunteers around the nation.
"What we want to know is what are volunteers like across the country." Ometo said. "We asked them that tie into each of our stares."
Omoto is working with the Good Samaritan Project, a volunteer organization in Kansas City, Mo. The research team is tracking the project's volunteers during a six-month period.
"We're looking at the whole process as it unfolds," he said.
Through his research, Omoto hopes to encourage people to become
involved in volunteer work. He wants to help society understand the roles volunteers play.
Volunteers have the ability to become health educators for a society that still is uneasy about the disease because they are knowledgeable about AIDS and understand what their clients are going through, he said.
"Our goal is to find ways to make better use of volunteers." Omito said. "We want to let people know that AIDS is an issue, even in Lawrence, Kansas, and the longer people ignore it as an issue, the worse it's going to get."
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