Informal, Unorganized Volunteering

T. G. Nezhina; Einolf C. J.; Prouteau L.; Ibrayeva A.

doi:10.1007/978-1-137-26317-9_10

АБВ
АБВ
АБВ

Обычная версия сайта

Priority areas

by year

Subject

News

August 11, 2026

‘The Peak of Stupidity and ‘The Valley of Despair: HSE Economists Propose an Explanation for the Dunning–Kruger Effect

The Dunning–Kruger effect, which describes a sharp surge in self-confidence among beginners followed by an equally rapid decline as they gain experience, can be explained by the nature of the learning process and the acquisition of new knowledge. This conclusion was reached by Andrey Vorchik of the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences together with independent researcher Murat Mamyshev. They developed a mathematical model of learning and demonstrated how subjective confidence is formed and changes as knowledge accumulates, as well as how teachers can reduce the ‘valley of despair’ experienced by learners.

July 24, 2026

‘I Like Self-Fulfilling Prophecies

Andrey Vorchik studies happiness, delivers popular science lectures, and believes that science should address social issues as well. In an interview for the Young Scientists of HSE University project, he spoke about how emotions influence decision-making, the Bermuda Triangle formed by the bathroom, refrigerator, and bed, and the ideal formula for education.

July 24, 2026

'Physics Is What the World Is Literally Built On'

Physicist Nina Dzhanayeva, recipient of a Vladimir Potanin Foundation scholarship, focuses her research on nanophotonics. In this interview for the HSE Young Scientists project, she discusses nanowells, scientific intuition, and how physics can help in making frangipane cream puffs.

Have you spotted a typo?
Highlight it, click Ctrl+Enter and send us a message. Thank you for your help!

Publications

?

Informal, Unorganized Volunteering

Ch. 9. P. 223–241.

Nezhina T. G., Einolf C. J., Prouteau L., Ibrayeva A.

Abstract

Informal volunteering, or helping individuals in a way not coordinated by an organization, is the most common type of human helping behavior but one of the least studied. The psychological motives for informal volunteering are similar to those for formal volunteering, but income and socioeconomic status do not affect informal volunteering. Informal volunteering is common in both wealthy and poor countries, and welfare state service provision does not crowd out informal volunteering. Little is known about the individual and social benefits of informal volunteering, and the state of knowledge is not yet complete enough to inform policy. However, using existing informal helping networks can make development and other projects more effective. Future research should collect better data on informal volunteering, particularly longitudinal and comparative data.

Keywords: Informal volunteering, unorganized volunteering, unpaid work, informal assistance

In book

The Palgrave Handbook of Volunteering, Civic Participation, and Nonprofit Associations

Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016.