Empathy, Guilt, Volunteer Experiences, and Intentions to Continue Volunteering Among Buddy Volunteers in an AIDS Organization1

We examined the influence of empathic concern, perspective‐taking, personal distress, and guilt on perceptions of volunteer experiences and intentions to continue volunteering among buddy volunteers serving HIV positive clients. Volunteers who exhibited empathic concern and perspective‐taking perceived their volunteer experiences to be more challenging and important, and these perceptions predicted intentions to continue volunteering. The effect of empathic concern on intentions was mediated by perceptions that volunteer experiences were challenging and important. Volunteers who felt greater guilt had closer relationships with their client buddies, and closer relationships predicted stronger intentions to continue volunteering. Volunteers who experienced greater personal distress perceived their volunteer experiences to be more disappointing. Neither guilt nor personal distress influenced intentions to continue volunteering.