Effects of age, gender, and participation in volunteer activities on the altruistic behavior of Chinese adolescents.

Possible associations of gender, age, and participation in volunteer activities with altruistic behavior of Chinese adolescents were investigated. A representative sample of 1,105 Hong Kong Chinese adolescents (457 boys, 648 girls) were recruited from 20 schools. Results of multiple regression analyses indicated that there was a positive age effect on altruistic behavior. In addition, a positive association between self-reported altruistic behavior and frequency of participation in volunteer activities was found. No gender differences were found.