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Measuring Mutual Help Willingness and Criteria among Hong Kong People: Confirmatory Factor Analyses

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Abstract

Mutual help has been often found to be beneficial for people’s well-being in clinical settings. Research in the general population, however, is relatively limited, partly due to the lack of applicable measurement tools. The present study attempted to develop two scales to measure mutual help willingness and criteria and test their psychometric properties among a community sample of Hong Kong people (n = 951). Confirmatory factor analyses suggested that the hypothetical models fitted the data very well. Results also indicated that though the willingness to seek help and to give help was significantly correlated, Hong Kong people were generally more willing to give help than to seek help. Age had a negative effect on help-seeking willingness, which can not be explained by education level. A set of criteria were applied similarly when people decided on help-giving and help-seeking. Agreement with the criteria was negatively correlated with age but the associations became negligible when education level was controlled. Research and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Social Studies, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Shengquan Ye & Terry Tse Fong Leung

  2. Department of Social Work, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong

    Bong Ho Mok

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  1. Shengquan Ye
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  2. Terry Tse Fong Leung
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  3. Bong Ho Mok
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Correspondence to Shengquan Ye.

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Ye, S., Leung, T.T.F. & Mok, B.H. Measuring Mutual Help Willingness and Criteria among Hong Kong People: Confirmatory Factor Analyses. Soc Indic Res 103, 119–130 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-010-9700-x

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