Expected FindingsThrough statistical analysis of the data, it is expected that the following hypotheses will be revealed:

H1: Women are more likely than men to fill their free time with volunteer work.

H2: Women are more emotionally affected by their volunteer role than men, which causes them to devote more of their time to it.

H3: Extrinsic and controlled motivation factors will be more effective at recruiting, but not necessarily retaining, men in volunteer positions versus intrinsic factors.

Regarding the first hypothesis, that women are more likely than men to fill their free time with volunteer work, the statistical tests are predicted to reveal a statistically significantly larger number of women than men working at the animal shelters. After evaluating the difference between the before-intervention versus after-intervention, it will be shown that even after viewing the videos, the number of females will still outnumber males as volunteers at the animal shelter. However, it is also predicted that after the interventions, greater numbers of both women and men will be present volunteering at the shelters.

Regarding the second hypothesis, it is predicted that women will be motivated more by emotional cues than other cues. In this research, we used the variable of masculinity and male bonding by showing videos using the term "Be a Man. Volunteer at Your Local Animal Shelter." It is predicted that indeed, the women were more likely to volunteer after viewing the images of cute animals, whereas men were more likely to volunteer after viewing the social pressure condition.

Finally, regarding the third hypothesis, it is predicted that men will not necessarily be retained unless they were motivated by the emotional video. It is predicted that the men who volunteered after viewing the one-minute video of happy people...

The statistical analysis will provide substantial data that can later be used for the recruitment strategies for animal shelters or other charitable organizations.
Conclusions

This study sheds light on what motivates people to volunteer at animal shelters. The study also shows what gender differences, if any, exist between the motivations of volunteers. It was assumed that women were motivated more by emotional appeals, such as images of cute animals or images of suffering animals that need human help, versus being socially pressured to volunteer or by being made to feel guilty for not volunteering. The reverse was assumed for the male cohort, with men more likely to be motivated by the social pressures to volunteer, and the guilt that comes from not volunteering their time. It was also assumed that men would be more likely to remain as volunteers at the animal shelter when they were motivated by intrinsic and emotional factors than by the extrinsic motivations including social pressure and guilt. The limitations of this hypothetical study are clear. It uses a limited population sample, and there are some issues that could detract from both internal and external validity.

While literature does reveal gender differences in volunteering, there is a gap of literature in animal shelters in particular. There is also a gap in the literature regarding the role of men in volunteering, and what motivates men. If animal shelters need more volunteers, and they do, then animal shelters do need to know how to attract and retain more male volunteers. Using the standard methods of recruitment might recruit some men successfully but not retain them, or might continue to retain mainly women due to the ways they appeal to emotion. This…