Taufan Agung Prasetya*, Sapto Dwi Anggoro, Ninik Ambar Sari, Mey Reta Purnawira Sari
Hang Tuah College of Health, Surabaya, Jawa Timur 60244, Indonesia
*Corresponding Author's Email: taufan@stickeshangtuah-sby.ac.id
ABSTRACT
Backgrounds: The Voluntary Corps (KSR) is the spearhead of PMI in the field. KSR members must have the awareness to devote themselves to humanitarian tasks. The empathy that KSR volunteers have can motivate volunteers to help others. Volunteers who have high levels of empathy will increase their prosocial behavior. Methods: Correlation analytic research design uses a Cross Sectional approach. Sampling research using Simple Random Sampling as many as 110 volunteers were selected from KSR PMI Surabaya City. Empathy and Prosocial Behavior Factors in volunteers were measured using an online questionnaire (via google form filling). Data analysis used Spearman Rho test with significance (p<0.050). Results: The results showed that 106 (97.3%) respondents had moderate empathy, with 104 respondents of whom had moderate prosocial behavior. About 4 other respondents have low prosocial behavior and 1 respondent has high prosocial behavior. The results also showed that 3 (2.7%) respondents have low empathy with prosocial behavior which is also low 1 person and moderate prosocial behavior 2 people. Spearman Rho test showed that there was a relationship between empathy and prosocial behavior in KSR PMI volunteers in Surabaya City with p value = 0.040 (p< 0.050) r = 0.196. Conclusion: Empathy possessed by KSR volunteers is an important factor for prosocial behavior. The results of this study indicate that the active role of KSR volunteers is needed to motivate their colleagues to cultivate a sense of empathy in order to grow high prosocial behavior.
Keywords: Volunteer Corps, Empathy, Prosocial Behavior
INTRODUCTION
The Voluntary Corps (KSR) is part of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI). The Voluntary Corps (KSR) is the spearhead of PMI in the field. A member of the KSR must always be aware of serving the task of humanity in realizing the role of PMI by making various efforts in order to complete the task perfectly (Sagita & Nutfa, 2016). In the face of a disaster, PMI volunteers carry out many tasks, such as helping refugee victims, namely helping to ease the burden of refugees, helping to fulfill the basic needs of refugees, helping to create peace for refugees, and arranging the distribution of aid (Diwyarthi et al., 2021). A PMI volunteer tends to have an empathetic attitude towards disaster victims, this makes volunteers feel the same way that disaster victims experience, so volunteers who have high empathy allows for high prosocial behavior and is more responsive in providing help (Rahayu, 2018).
Disaster volunteers helping victims often face several difficulties. However, these difficulties do not reduce their motivation to help victims. The sense of wanting to help victims arises from the empathy that individual volunteers have. The ability to empathize with individual KSR volunteers can be a strong motivation to carry out social activities as a form of humanitarian responsibility (Batson, 2009). Based on the results of interviews conducted by researchers at PMI Surabaya City, there are interesting things which KSR volunteers provide, in assistance such as providing support
when an accident occurs on the road, donating blood directly to patients who need it more, providing assistance in the form of basic necessities to people who need more support by PMI Surabaya City.
East Java Province has a fairly high potential for natural disasters, including the eruption of Mount Merapi in Lumajang, flooding in Pasuruan, landslides in Ponorogo, tornado in Sumenep, and earthquake in Pacitan, and the eruption of Mount Kelud in Kediri - Blitar (Fitrianto, 2020). PMI has around 1 million volunteers spread across Indonesia. They are the Voluntary Corps (KSR) as many as 32,568 people, Volunteer Workers (TSR) as many as 19,294 people, and Voluntary Blood Donors (DDS) as many as 893,381 (Pitria, 2013). In East Java Province, there were 150 KSR volunteers. They participated in the disaster management of the Mount Kelud eruption in 2014 who were members of the East Java PMI team (Anam et al., 2018). In the Regulation of the Head of the National Disaster Management Agency number 17 of 2011 concerning Guidelines for Disaster Management Volunteers, the role of volunteers in disaster management consists of the pre-disaster management, namely supporting the preparation of planning policies, disaster risk reduction, prevention and preparedness efforts, and capacity building for the community. The role of volunteers during emergency response is to support activities in emergency response such as logistics, health assistance, emergency education, and the role of volunteers in post-disaster situations such as emergency repair and psychosocial recovery (BNPB, 2011).
The empathy that KSR volunteers have can increase prosocial behavior and produce direct responses to other people's situations. KSR volunteers who have high empathy, will immediately help distribute aid in the form of clothes, food, drinks and items needed by refugees, not only that, volunteers also comfort refugees who are sad so that they can reduce their sadness. Volunteers do this because they feel the pain felt by refugees (Taufik, 2016). KSR volunteers who have empathy will be willing to behave prosaically if they wish to help and ease the burden or suffering of others, which is a social activity as a form of humanitarian responsibility (Anderson et al., 2017).
METHODOLOGY
Correlation analytic research design uses a Cross Sectional approach. Sampling research using Simple Random Sampling as many as 110 volunteers was chosen from KSR PMI Surabaya. Empathy and Prosocial Behavior in volunteers were measured using an online questionnaire (via google form filling). Data analysis used Spearman Rho test was done with significance (p<0.050).
RESULTS
Distribution of Respondents by Age Group
Age | Frequency (f) | Percentage (%) |
18-21 | 40 | 36.4 |
22-25 | 70 | 63.6 |
Total | 110 | 100.0 |
These results indicate that as many as 70 respondents (63.6%) are aged 22-25 years and the remaining 40 respondents (36.4%) are aged 18-21 years.
Distribution of Respondents by Gender
Gender | Frequency (f) | Percentage (%) |
Man | 57 | 51.8 |
Woman | 53 | 48.2 |
Total | 110 | 100.0 |
Distribution of Respondents Based on Years of Service
Active period | Frequency (f) | Percentage (%) |
1 year | 13 | 11.8 |
2 years | 52 | 47.3 |
3 years | 18 | 16.4 |
4 years | 17 | 15.5 |
5 years | 10 | 9.1 |
Total | 110 | 100.0 |
These results indicate that most of the respondents, namely 52 people (47.3%) have an active working period of 2 years and only 10 respondents (9.1%) have 5 years of service.
Distribution of Respondents Based on Institutional Origin
Institution | Frequency (f) | Percentage (%) |
10 November Institute of Technology Surabaya | 6 | 5.5 |
Hang Tuah College of Science Surabaya | 75 | 68.2 |
3 | 2.7 | |
Airlangga University | 3 | 2.7 |
PGRI Adi Buana University Surabaya | 11 | 10.0 |
Surabaya State University | 11 | 10.0 |
Wijaya Putra University | 1 | 9 |
Total | 110 | 100.0 |
These results indicate that Hang Tuah College of Health Surabaya is the origin of the largest institution of the respondents, namely 75 people (68.2%) and Wijaya Putra University is the origin of the lowest institution, namely 1 respondent (9%). The rest or as many as 34 other respondents came from PGRI Adi Buana University Surabaya and Surabaya State University with 11 people each, and 6 people from the Surabaya 10 November Institute of Technology. Sunan Ampel State Islamic University Surabaya and Airlangga University each consisted of 3 respondents.
Distribution of Respondents Based on Empathy
Empathy | Frequency (f) | Percentage (%) |
Low | 3 | 2.7 |
Moderate | 107 | 97.3 |
Total | 110 | 100.0 |
These results indicate that the respondent's empathy is at a moderate level, namely 107 people (97.3%), and there are 3 people (2.7%) who have low empathy. This also shows that there are no respondents who have high empathy
Distribution of Respondents Based on Prosocial Behavior
Behavior | Frequency (f) | Percentage (%) |
Low | 5 | 4.5 |
Moderate | 104 | 94.5 |
High | 1 | 0.9 |
Total | 110 | 100.0 |
These results indicate that the highest volunteer prosocial behavior is in the moderate category, reaching 104 respondents (94.5%). Furthermore, it was found that 5 volunteers (4.5%) had low prosocial behavior and only one volunteer (0.9%) had high prosocial behavior.
Distribution of the Relationship between Empathy and Prosocial Behavior on Volunteers of KSR PMI Surabaya City
Empat hy | Prosocial Behavior | Value | |||||||
Low | Moderate | High | Total | = 0.040 | |||||
Low | F 1 | % 20.0 | F 2 | % 1.9 | F 0 | % 0 | F 3 | % 2.7 | |
Moder ate | 4 | 80.0 | 102 | 98.1 | 1 | 0% | 107 | 97.3 | |
Total | 5 | 100 | 104 | 100 | 1 | 100 | 110 | 100 | |
Spearman's Rho statistical test value shows that = 0.040 which means that there is a relationship between empathy and prosocial behavior in KSR PMI volunteers in Surabaya. This condition can be illustrated from the results of the study which showed that out of 110 respondents, 102 respondents had moderate empathy and moderate prosocial behavior. About 4 respondents have moderate empathy and low prosocial behavior and only 1 respondent has moderate empathy and high social behavior. Furthermore, this result also shows that there is one respondent who has low empathy and low prosocial behavior and 2 respondents have low empathy and moderate social behavior.
DISCUSSION
Empathy is the most effective factor in influencing individuals in socializing with other people and the surrounding environment (Sukma et al., 2014). This is in line with research (Asih & Pratiwi, 2010) explaining that empathy is a person's ability to understand the feelings and emotions of others and the ability to imagine oneself in someone else's place. With empathy, volunteers can understand the feelings of someone who needs help so that it motivates volunteers to help others which leads to good prosocial behavior.
Helping behavior that arises from disaster volunteers when they feel empathy for disaster victims who are in need of help is a good prosocial behavior. Individuals who have a sense of empathy will also feel the same suffering that is experienced by disaster victims. The empathy possessed by KSR volunteers can motivate individuals to reduce the pressure felt by others by calming, helping or by decreasing their suffering (Nuryanti, 2020). If the level of empathy is low (Rosyida, 2020), individuals will reduce the pressure they feel by helping others or they escape the situations and overlook the sufferings faced by the victims who are suffering (Sudarmin, 2022).
According to the researcher, if the level of empathy produced is high, then the individual will feel the suffering or sadness felt by the victim so that the individual will take the initiative to help the victim who is suffering or sad. This form of helping response is carried out by individuals as a form of reducing the pressure they feel or not turning a blind eye to what they see (Ryan & Deci, 2001).
CONCLUSION
Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that empathy for PMI KSR volunteers in the city of Surabaya shows that the higher the individual's empathy, the higher the prosocial behavior, and conversely the lower the empathy, the lower the prosocial behavior. With the development of positive psychology, prosocial behavior has received widespread attention from researchers. The current study contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between empathy and prosocial behavior.
Suggestion
There is need for an effort from the volunteer institution or PMI Surabaya City to provide empathy training to students who are members of the PMI Surabaya City Volunteer Corps. It is hoped that with this training, the empathetic behavior of the volunteers can be increased, so that they can improve prosocial behavior.
Ethical Approval
This current research had received ethical approval from the Health Research Ethics Committee of Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Hang Tuah Surabaya, Indonesia, with a Certificate of Ethical Eligibility Number: PE/60/ VII/2021/KEPK/SHT, dated July 6th, 2021.
Conflict of Interests
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors are thankful to the institutional authority for completion of the work.
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