Americans tend to value volunteering for strangers over providing unpaid care for family and friends, according to a study by the American Psychological Association. The research highlights that unpaid caregiving is undervalued despite its significant contribution to society.

Ellen Reinhart, PhD, from Michigan State University and lead author of the study, stated, “Over 53 million Americans provide unpaid care for adults, labor valued at over $450 billion annually. Without this essential caregiving, society would struggle to function.” In comparison, volunteering hours are valued at $195 billion annually.

The study explored perceptions of societal contributions among different socioeconomic groups using data from the Midlife Development in the United States survey. Participants with lower socioeconomic status often reported spending more time on unpaid care within their social networks than those with higher socioeconomic status.

Despite this effort, individuals with lower socioeconomic status felt they contributed less to society compared to those who volunteered for strangers. “The belief that helping strangers is the gold standard of contributing seems to be a widely accepted but little recognized assumption,” Reinhart noted.

An experiment in the study involved participants evaluating scenarios where individuals tutored students. Results showed that people perceived tutoring a stranger as a greater societal contribution than helping family members.

Reinhart emphasized the need for broader recognition of what constitutes meaningful contributions: “As the U.S. population ages... we must value this vital labor.”

The findings were published in an article titled “Who feels they contribute to U.S. society? Helping behaviors and social class disparities in perceived contributions” by Ellen C. Reinhart, Rebecca M. Carey from Princeton University, and Hazel Rose Markus from Stanford University in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.