EXPLORING RELIGIOSITY AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AS PREDICTORS OF ALTRUISM AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN SOUTHEAST NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of religiosity and socioeconomic status on
altruism among undergraduates in Southeast Nigeria. The Social Exchange Theory (Homans,
1958) and Durkheim’s Unified Theoretical Model of Religion (1964) formed the framework
of the study. Both theories provide essential frameworks for understanding altruism in the
Nigerian context: Social exchange theory highlights the transactional nature of relationships,
while Durkheim emphasizes religion's role in promoting social cohesion and moral
behaviour. Two hypotheses were tested. First, religiosity significantly predicts altruism.
Second, socioeconomic status significantly predicts altruism. The total number of participants
was two hundred and twenty-nine (229), randomly drawn from the undergraduate student
population of 3 universities in the Southeast Region of Nigeria. A cross-sectional design was
adopted, and multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. The results
revealed that religiosity significantly predicted altruism at the 0.05 significance level and that
socioeconomic status did not significantly predict altruism. The study reveals that religiosity
significantly predicts altruism in Southeast Nigeria, while socioeconomic status does not,
highlighting the strong influence of religious beliefs on helping behaviour. Altruism in this
context is driven more by moral and ethical values from religious teachings rather than
wealth or material resources. This suggests that initiatives promoting prosocial behaviour
may be more effective when aligned with religious motivations rather than economic
incentives. The findings encourage further research into how cultural and social factors, such
as education and socialization, influence altruistic behaviours.