Media

HKU Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention conducts
Hong Kong Altruism Index (A-Index) survey

24 Apr 2014

Participation in altruistic activities relates to an individual’s subjective well-being and constitutes a crucial part of social capital. Recent debates on social issues have given rise to a series of questions including who should be helped? Who have been helping genuinely? Why some people are not willing to help? And how to better help those in need?

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention (CSRP) of the University of Hong Kong is conducting a survey on the Altruism Index (A-Index), which is the first-ever comprehensive and in-depth investigation of altruistic behaviors in Hong Kong. The results will provide objective evidence for the public to comprehend the mutual help and solidarity level of our society and motivate different population groups to participate in altruistic activities.

The survey defines altruistic behaviors as including but not limited to volunteering, donations and non-organized helping for charitable purposes. It will measure the amount, and preferred objects of a respondent’s altruistic behavior; explore why a respondent does not participate in a certain type of altruistic behaviors.

About 1,000 Hong Kong residents aged 15 or above, randomly sampled, will be interviewed by telephone in the survey. Each interview lasts about 15 minutes, and can be conducted in Cantonese, Mandarin, or English. The survey has been started on April 22 and will last until the targeted sample size is reached. A report of the survey is expected to be released by the end of July.

For media and public enquiries about the survey, please call the CSRP at phone number: 2831 5232 during office hours between 9 am and 6 pm from Monday to Friday or email to csrp@hku.hk.