Article

Purpose in Life: A Critical Component of Optimal Youth Development

July 2014

Authors:

Claremont Graduate University

This volume integrates and makes sense of the growing body of theoretical and empirical research conducted on purpose across the lifespan. It opens with a comprehensive yet detailed discussion of the definitions of purpose most commonly used in studies on the topic. In addition to defining the construct, the author also discusses its philosophical roots and distinguishes it from related concepts, including meaning, goals, and ultimate concerns. This volume discusses the disparate perspectives on the construct and addresses the tendency to position purpose in the broader frame of positive psychology. It synthesizes distinct strands of research on purpose across the lifespan, it explores studies on the daily and longer-term experience of a purposeful existence, and it delves deeply into the wide range of measurement tools that have been used to assess the purpose construct. Further, it examines the prevalence and forms of purpose among diverse groups of youth and discusses the developmental trajectory of the construct. Other topics discussed include the central role of purpose in supporting optimal well-being and positive youth development. The book closes with empirically-supported steps adults, educators, and mentors can take to effectively and intentionally foster purpose among young people and makes recommendations for future research on the topic. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)

Propósito vital y experiencias en actividades de disfrute en adolescentes de Buenos Aires

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2023

Objetivo. Poner a prueba un modelo predictivo de la identificación de propósito vital (PV) a partir de las experiencias de disfrute, la realización personal y la claridad en el autoconcepto. Método. Participaron 511 adolescentes (13 a 19 años y de ambos sexos) escolarizados del Área Metropolitana Bonaerense. Se utilizaron cuestionarios de autoinforme para medir las variables estudiadas. Además, se realizó un Modelo de Ecuaciones Estructurales con el método de estimación de Mínimos Cuadrados Generalizados. Resultados. El afecto positivo y el involucramiento en la actividad favorita presentan un efecto indirecto sobre el PV, mediado por la realización personal. La claridad en el autoconcepto y el sentido de realización personal tienen un efecto directo sobre el PV.

Identidade racial de crianças em situação de vulnerabilidade social: o olhar dos profissionais do SCFV

Chapter

Full-text available

Apr 2023

Falar sobre identidade é sempre uma tarefa intrigante e deveras difícil, já que a identidade é um fenômeno que envolve múltiplos níveis e reconhecimentos (Galinkin & Zauli, 2011). E quando a identidade diz respeito a crianças, o tema torna-se mais profundo por conta das peculiaridades dessa fase do desenvolvimento, sobretudo, porque as variáveis que integram o processo de forma- ção da identidade possuem grande potencial influenciador em todo processo. A condição social da criança é uma delas, pois, se uma criança estiver em situação de vulnerabilidade social certamente terá impactos significativos na formação de sua identidade, ou se pertencer a uma “raça” desvalorizada terá os mesmos prejuízos, podendo estes impactos serem potencializados se a criança tiver uma identidade racial desvalorizada e estiver em situação de vulnerabilidade social. De modo que buscou-se investigar se a socialização praticada pelos profissionais Serviços de Convivência e Fortalecimento de Vínculos – SCFV promove o fortalecimento da identidade racial de crianças em situação de vulnerabilidade social.

Pesquisas em Psicologia, Saúde e Sociedade (livro completo)

Preprint

Full-text available

Apr 2023

Abordar diferentes facetas da Psicologia em um só trajeto é um interessante desafio entre a especificidade e a integralidade. Percorrer da saúde e desenvolvimento humano à psicologia social, entrelaçando questões sociais relevantes, exige outro importante esforço. Tudo isso, de modo bem concatenado e fundamentado, pode ser encontrado neste livro. Pesquisas em Psicologia, Saúde e Sociedade traz para os leitores, estudantes e pesquisadores, variadas temáticas de estudo em Psicologia, visando a informar e bem formar perspectivas de compreensão e ação para variados interesses.

Measuring Purpose in Life: A Review

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2015

Danielle Schultz

Empowering Emerging Adults to Face the Post-COVID-19 Challenges

Chapter

Feb 2023

Purpose in life and well-being are essential psychological constructs that, developed by emergent adults in times of the COVID-19 pandemic, may strengthen positive aspects of their identity. In this chapter, we will explore how collaborative work with graduate and undergraduate students may support them in reflecting and building purpose and well-being in their lives and in the lives of others. The starting point is the constructivism epistemology and the adoption of active learning techniques as educational methodological tools for developing the skills and competencies necessary to live in a world of uncertainty and indeterminacy. The chapter’s primary goal is to explore and detail the pedagogical process developed through active learning methodologies, hybrid learning, and technology tools during the pandemic. Students from a Brazilian university had to work collaboratively in groups for 16 weeks in the framework designed to identify and prototype solutions to social and/or psychological challenges. Participants were challenged to face and solve real problems through the project’s development. Then, using Design Thinking, the maker culture, and peer-to-peer perspectives in professional and non-professional settings, the students had to create programs or tools to empower young adults, promoting their purpose and well-being. The framework’s three complementary and iterative phases were based on the Design Thinking perspective: Listening/observing, creating/prototyping, testing/implementing. In the end, the chapter describes the challenges faced, the pedagogical process, and the solution prototypes developed by the students, aiming at empowering emergent adults in their inevitable encounters with an unpredictable and uncertain future.KeywordsWell-beingPurposeEmerging adultsActive learning methodologies

Vidas plenas: Um estudo dos projetos de vida éticos de educadores brasileiros

Book

Oct 2022

Andreia Morais Magliano Parra

Qualitative Purpose Profiles of Chinese Student Teachers

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2022
Int J Environ Res Publ Health

Teachers are well positioned to help students cultivate their purpose in life, which is an asset that is associated with optimal development. Teachers must also have a grasp on their own sense of purpose, especially during times of intense social pressure and change, when the capability to sustain and support worthy aims may impart personal resilience and contribute to the social good. To train educators who have this capability, it is therefore vital for teacher education programs to in turn understand their own students’ individualized purpose statuses. Using a qualitative person-centered approach, the current study identified purpose profiles of teacher education candidates in China as part of a larger multinational study. Three hundred and thirty-one participants wrote answers to questions about the content and fulfillment of their purpose in life, and statements were reliably coded for how specifically the respondents referenced their purpose, and for whether their purpose aimed to benefit others. A consensual qualitative research approach then identified four purpose profiles: beyond-the-self purpose, self-oriented life goal, daydreamer and purposeless. The meaning of these profiles and their significance for cultivating purpose among China’s teachers are discussed.

Cross-national measurement invariance of the Purpose in Life Test in seven Latin American countries

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2022

The Purpose in Life Test (PIL) is a measure of purpose in life widely used in many cultures and countries; however, cross-cultural assessments are scarce. The present study aimed to evaluate the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the PIL in the general population of seven Latin American countries (Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay). A total of 4306 people participated, selected by non-probabilistic convenience sampling, where Uruguay has the highest mean age (M = 41.8; SD = 16.6 years); while Ecuador has the lowest mean age (M = 24.6; SD = 7.8 years). Furthermore, in each country, there is a higher proportion of women (>60%) than men (<40%). Using Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis, the factorial structure does not show evidence of invariance among the included countries. However, based on the Multi-Group Factor Analysis Alignment, there is evidence that a three-dimensional structure of the PIL (Meaning of existence, Freedom to make meaning in daily life and Will to find meaning in the face of future challenges) is the same in the participating countries. Results based on item response theory indicate that most PIL items can significantly differentiate responses according to the level of life purpose. In addition, people with low life purpose will tend to choose the lower response alternatives on the PIL; while people with higher life purpose will choose higher response alternatives. The findings indicate that the PIL has the potential to increase knowledge about how people conceive and experience their purpose in life in different countries.

ESTÁGIO EXTRACURRICULAR E PROJETOS DE VIDA: PERCEPÇÕES DE ESTUDANTES UNIVERSITÁRIAS

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2022

Emerging adulthood is a stage of development in which individuals prepare to enter adult life. Due to its characteristics, it is a favorable period to study a purpose in life. This study aimed to investigate the conceptions of university students about extracurricular internship and its relationship with the development of the purpose in life. A focus group was carried out with three students from the psychology course. For data analysis, a content analysis was performed. The results showed that purpose in life and extracurricular internship are perceived as related. These themes are seen as beneficial for development, helping to establish identity, in the self-perception of these young people as adults and in decision-making. Keywords: purpose in life; college students; content analysis

EXTRACURRICULAR INTERNSHIP AND PURPOSE IN LIFE: PERCEPTIONS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2022

Implications of Value Creation for Customers of Social Firms in the Service Sector in Mexico

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2022

Introduction: While social enterprises meet human needs and create social value, they need to focus on value creation, customer satisfaction, and loyalty, as they can facilitate the generation of long-term relationships with the social enterprise and its survival. Objective: This research explores the effect of life purpose on customer value creation and its influence on satisfaction and loyalty among customers of social firms operating in the service sector in two Mexican cities, Puebla and Jalapa, both located in the Centre-East of Mexico. Materials and methods: An explanatory and cross-sectional investigation was conducted with 392 active customers. Structural equation modelling was used treating all variables as latent. Results: It was found that purpose in life was a significant and positive antecedent of customer value creation. In addition, customer value creation had a substantial effect on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Conclusions: The findings have implications for understanding the complexity of value creation in social firms focused on the delivery of services and the nature and dimensionality of customer value creation for social enterprises and its positive impact on customer retention. The results can help academics and social enterprises to develop better strategies to meet the needs of consumers belonging to vulnerable groups.

Análise de projetos de vida no início da adolescência através do software IRaMuTeQ

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2022

O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar os projetos de vida no início da adolescência, considerando o sexo e tipo de escola (pública, privada e do Serviço Social da Indústria - SESI). O estudo consistiu numa análise das redacções apresentados como parte do projecto “EPTV na Escola” de 2018. O corpus consistiu em 60 ensaios: 20 de cada uma das três escolas, subdivididos por género para dar um total de seis subgrupos de ensaios. Os dados foram analisados utilizando o software IRaMuTeQ. Os resultados mostram uma maior preocupação com o seu futuro entre as estudantes do sexo feminino, e mais alusões a bens materiais e um desejo de contribuir para a sua comunidade entre os sujeitos masculinos. Os estudantes das escolas públicas expressaram mais dúvidas sobre a profissão a escolher, os das escolas privadas mostraram maior preocupação com os assuntos financeiros, e os das escolas do SESI foram considerados mais decididos sobre o seu futuro. Os resultados deste estudo podem contribuir para a construção de conhecimentos sobre os projectos de vida dos adolescentes, principalmente no que diz respeito à fase do início da adolescência. Estes conhecimentos podem ajudar a orientar o trabalho dos professores e outros profissionais na área da Educação implicados na tarefa de transmitir projectos de vida.

Purpose in life as an asset for well-being and a protective factor against depression in adolescents

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2023

Purpose in life, which is a central component of the eudaimonic paradigm of well-being, has been sparsely examined in adolescence. This is unfortunate as adolescence is characterised by identity development and is a key period for the onset of mental disorders. To inform future research on well-being and purpose in life in adolescents, we drew factors from several fields of research, including mental health and psychological factors, and explored which factors were most strongly associated with purpose in life. Data were collected in a sample of 444 Italian adolescents (Mage = 16.30 [SD = 1.50], range: 14 to 20 years; 58% girls) and associations with mental health (stress, anxiety, depression, anger), psychological traits (mindfulness, self-hate, self-inadequacy, self-reassurance, isolation), and sociodemographic variables (age, sex, place of birth) were examined. Regression, dominance, and network analyses indicated that a stronger sense of purpose in life was associated with lower depressive symptoms, higher levels of self-reassurance, and being born in Italy. Our findings suggest that purpose in life is an important asset for well-being in adolescents and may protect against depression. Future longitudinal and/or experimental research should examine the potential protective role of purpose in life in relation to adolescent depression and how self-reassurance and sociodemographic factors (e.g., immigrant background) are involved.

Propósito vital y su relación con las actividades extracurriculares y laborales en estudiantes universitarios

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2022

The beginning of university studies constitutes a moment of transition and crisis. Having a purpose in life (PL) can contribute to students’ adaptation. Extracurricular and work activities are contexts with potential for the development of PL. This work aims to investigate the relationship between participation in extracurricular and work activities with the sense of PL in students who begin their university studies. As a secondary objective, the validation of the Purpose in Life Scale for University Students (PLSS) was carried out. Therefore, this research was divided in two stages. A total of 232 students of both sexes participated (women, 60.3%). In the first stage, the psychometric properties of the PLSS were analyzed. The results indicate that it has adequate content and factor validity, and good internal consistency. In the second stage, students who were beginning their university studies and were emerging adults (n = 160) were selected from the total sample. The sense of PL was compared based on the participation in activities, and the relationship between PL and the degree of perceived link between activities and career was analyzed. The results indicated that the participation in work activities was associated with a lower identification of PL. However, when it was perceived as linked to a university career, it was associated with a greater identification of PL.

La percepción de un futuro significativo y su relación con el autoconcepto y las experiencias positivas durante pandemia de covid-19 en estudiantes de nivel superior: The perception of a significant future and its relationship with self-concept and positive experiences during the covid-19 pandemic in higher level students

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2023

Objetivo: Analizar la relación entre las experiencias en las actividades de disfrute, la claridad en el autoconcepto y la percepción de un futuro significativo en jóvenes que cursan estudios superiores durante la pandemia de covid-19. Método: Participantes: estudiantes (n = 228), de ambos sexos de distintas carreras de nivel superior de Buenos Aires. Instrumentos: Cuestionario sociodemográfico. Cuestionario de los posibles sí mismos. Escala de propósito vital para estudiantes universitarios. Escala de claridad en el autoconcepto. Escala de Disfrute en la Actividad. Escala de Autorrealización en la Actividad. Escala de Indicadores Físicos y Psicoemocionales de Estrés. Resultados: más de la mitad de los estudiantes (65,8 %) percibe grandes cambios en su actividad de disfrute durante la cuarentena, pero estos no se relacionan con la percepción de un futuro significativo. La claridad en el autoconcepto predice la probabilidad de alcanzar los posibles sí mismos deseados y la búsqueda de propósito vital. La claridad, el afecto positivo y la autorrealización predicen la identificación de propósito vital. Las variables estudiadas se asocian a menores síntomas de estrés. Conclusión: los resultados muestran la necesidad de favorecer estas experiencias, así como la exploración del autoconocimiento, valores e intereses, que promuevan la identificación de metas, como factor de protección frente a los efectos y consecuencias del contexto actual.

Educating the whole person: Broad extracurricular involvement and prevalence of purpose and thriving among college students in China

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2022

College students in China can choose from a wide variety of university organized extra-curricular activities (EAs), which are intended to enrich and deepen the learning experience, and reflect an educational policy goal to cultivate the whole and well-rounded person. These activities are also consistent with another policy goal, which is to foster optimal student outcomes like life purpose development. This study examined associations between EA involvement and life purpose and associations between EA involvement and thriving attributes of resourcefulness/resilience and life satisfaction among 332 undergraduate students enrolled at 20 universities across China. Measures of EA involvement, purpose resourcefulness/resilience, and life satisfaction were adapted to the Chinese culture, language, and student population. Four clusters of students emerged, representing varying degrees of well-roundedness according to their EA involvement. Patterns of associations examined between and within clusters supported the general hypothesis that more frequent and well-rounded EA involvement is positively associated with purpose and life-satisfaction, but not with resilience/resourcefulness. The significance of the findings for future research and practice are discussed.

Indonesian L2 Learners’ Resilience and Self-directed Learning In Online Classes: A Correlational Study

Article

Full-text available

May 2022

Adaninggar Septi Subekti

The present study aimed to investigate Indonesian second language (L2) learners’ level of resilience and the relationship between their resilience and their self-directed learning (SDL) in an online learning setting at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. The present study used a survey method by distributing Google Form questionnaires. The participants were 187 university student participants taking English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classes online in their respective departments. It was conducted to fill the void in resilience literature in the Indonesian L2 context and to find out the Indonesian learners’ resilience in the online learning setting as well as to know whether learners’ resilience was associated with their SDL, a critical element to succeed in online learning. The study found that learners possessed a high level of resilience. Learners were found to have a high level of realistic optimism and self-discipline, prominent characteristics of resilience. However, they reported a slightly lower level of capability in handling multiple tasks at the same time. The study further found that learners’ resilience was significantly, moderately, and positively correlated with their SDL. Based on the findings, possible contributions and implications are stated alongside the limitations of the study and possible directions for future research.

Indonesian L2 Learners’ Resilience and Self-directed Learning In Online Classes: A Correlational Study

Article

Full-text available

May 2022

Adaninggar Septi Subekti

Could Purpose in Life Help Unmotivated Students to Thrive? When Motivation and Purpose in Life Matter for Peer Mentoring

Article

Aug 2023

Purpose: The present study investigated the effect of extrinsic motivation, amotivation, the presence of and search for purpose, and their interaction effects on the perceived positive outcomes of being a peer mentor in college. Methods: We tested a cross-sectional data using correlation design and moderation model. Participants were 232 undergraduate students who served as mentors for freshmen. Data was collected through an online survey. Results: Extrinsic motivation was positively, but amotivation not significantly, associated with perceiving the benefits of being a mentor. The presence of and search for purpose showed positive correlation with positive outcomes. Both the search for and presence of purpose moderated the relation between amotivation and the positive outcomes of being a mentor. Conclusion: The presence of purpose and the search for purpose moderates the relationship between amotivation and the positive outcomes of being a mentor.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RESILIENCE AND LEARNING MOTIVATION IN COLLEGE STUDENTS: THE MEDIATOR ROLE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS

Article

Jun 2023

To understand the effect of college students' resilience on learning motivation, this study used a questionnaire to investigate the effect of personal protection factors and environmental protective factors in the resilience structure of college students on their learning motivation and to verify the mediating effect of personal protection factors. The study found that: (1) Environmental protective factors in the resilience structure of college students have a facilitative effect on personal protection factors. (2) Sociability and Self-Regulation are not only not significantly related to learners' motivation but also do not have a mediating role. The value of this study is to be the first to explore value of this study is that it is the first to explore the mediating effect of personal protection factors in the structure of resilience and to provide a reference for interventions for students' motivation from the perspective of college students' resilience.

Sense of purpose interventions for depression and anxiety in youth: A scoping review and cross-cultural youth consultation

Article

Jun 2023
J AFFECT DISORDERS

Background/objectives: To investigate the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of sense of purpose (SOP) interventions in preventing or reducing anxiety or depression in youth aged 14-24 years. Methods: A systematic search was conducted of the academic (PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE) and grey literature. We also consulted two SOP experts and an Australian and Indian youth advisory group with lived experience of anxiety and/or depression. Consultations focused on the feasibility and acceptability of reviewed interventions. Results: The search identified 25 studies reporting on 4408 participants from six countries (64.0 % of studies in the US). Multi-component interventions targeting several SOP components (i.e., value clarification, goal setting, gratitude enhancement) reported, on average, moderate reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms in youth. Interventions were generally more effective at reducing depression than anxiety symptoms. In terms of sub-populations or groups, there was some evidence for greater intervention effectiveness among youth with prior therapy experience, extraverted personalities, and those with already elevated anxiety/depression symptoms. Youth advisors and experts opined that group interventions were most acceptable to young people. Limitations: This review was limited to a recent 10-year timeframe and publications in English, potentially excluding relevant studies published prior to 2011 or in other languages. Conclusions: Fostering SOP can lead to better psychological wellbeing in youth. Potential harms resulting from interventions can occur without adequate consideration for a person's readiness for purpose discovery, environmental barriers, and familial and cultural settings. Further research in more diverse populations is required to determine who benefits and in what contexts.

ALEGRIA COMO VIRTUDE: OS MEIOS E FINS DA ALEGRIA

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2021

Para abarcar o florescimento e a prosperidade humana, devemos entender a alegria. Entretanto, nenhum modelo teórico explica a complexidade da alegria como fruto do Espírito, nem explica plenamente seu impacto na vida humana. Sugerimos que a alegria é melhor conceituada como uma virtude, um hábito psicológico, composto de adaptações características e que oferece sentido por uma identidade narrativa transcendente. Assim, a alegria envolve conhecer, sentir e adotar o que é mais importante. A ciência do desenvolvimento e as abordagens teológicas cristãs da teleologia informam os fins últimos aos quais a alegria é dirigida. Elas sugerem que telos, o propósito ou objetivo do desenvolvimento, pode ser entendido como um processo dinâmico que perpetua a prosperidade humana e social e envolve (1) o self crescente, (2) relações mutuamente benéficas, e (3) diretrizes morais em evolução que garantam um contínuo ajuste e florescimento de si mesmo e da sociedade. Nós unimos a psicologia do desenvolvimento, a ciência da virtude e a teologia para propor uma definição e um paradigma para entender o desenvolvimento da alegria através do florescimento. A fim de promover a investigação sobre a alegria e para elucidar sua natureza transformadora, discutimos a alegria à luz do discipulado, vocação, sofrimento, justiça e escatologia e identificamos questões para pesquisa.

A comprehensive theory of life projects

Thesis

Jun 2021

Vinicius Coscioni

The term life project (LP) has been used in scientific literature, though frequently without a clear definition. This terminological inaccuracy has been leading the field to conflicting conclusions. This thesis is a compendium of seven articles comprising four parts that, altogether, aim to introduce a new comprehensive theory of LPs. The first part comprises two non-systematic reviews and one systematic review that discuss the existing literature on the theme. The first article presents the main theories, constructs, and instruments of future time perspective (FTP). The term LP is introduced as an FTP variable entailing a specific type of anticipation. The review fills in a gap in the Brazilian literature, in which the term LP has been frequently used as a synonym of expectations, aspirations, and other terms. The second article presents 15 theoretical approaches to LP. The review discusses similarities and controversies across them and acknowledges that they refer to different aspects of LPs or even distinct constructs. The third article identifies the theoretical contributions on LP across 93 articles. A thematic analysis coded all excerpts providing theoretical contributions on LP, from which six theoretical dimensions were created. Another thematic analysis with the LP’s explicit definitions generated four categories that describe defining features. The associations between the included articles’ theoretical features were investigated by networking analyses that identified three main theoretical trends. The second part includes a theoretical study that integrates the theoretical approaches, dimensions, and defining features acknowledged in the first part. Thus, it signals the initial proposal of a comprehensive theory of life projects. The article starts by providing a definition of the general notion of project as “a process comprising the formation, enactment, and maintenance of intentional structures and actions”. This definition mitigates the conflict between two theoretical traditions that conceived project either as a process prior to action or a set of actions aiming at the same goal. Subsequently, LP is defined as “an ongoing evolving project that encompasses a long-term, meaningful, and prospective narrative capable of driving decisions and efforts in daily life”. This definition embraces diverse components extracted from distinct theories, which precisely denotes its comprehensive nature. The article also provides a framework associating LPs with other phenomena, such as consciousness, narratives, purpose, personal projects, life themes, career, and FTP. The third part encompasses two empirical articles that provide empirical evidence of the created theory. Firstly, a qualitative study carried out via interviews is reported. Participants were 26 Brazilian citizens, aged between 15 and 59 years, who were aware of plans for the next years of their lives. The interviews content was assessed according to a thematic analysis that allowed for the outline of a theoretical model associating several LP’s personal and contextual antecedents. The second empirical article reports the creation of a psychometric scale for the assessment of LPs – the Life Project Scale (LPS). The article comprises eight studies encompassing over four thousand participants from five countries. Altogether, the eight studies identified different sources of validity and reliability evidence by means of consultation with experts, focus groups, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, invariance measurement models, relations to other measures, three types of reliability coefficients, and test-retest correlations. The fourth part contains a theoretical study in which the practical relevance of the theory is discussed. Practical limitations of the use of more restricted LP definitions are firstly discussed. The comprehensive theory of life projects is, then, introduced as a possible set of guiding assumptions for professional practices, particularly in the context of basic education. The seven articles introduce the four main components of a theory: (1) definition of terms; (2) a domain; (3) a set of statements; and (4) predictions. Firstly, it contributes with new definitions of project and LP. Secondly, it presents evidence that the theory may be applied in different circumstances and settings. Thirdly, it states the relationships between different types of phenomena and variables. Lastly, it presents a body of knowledge that allows for predictions regarding how people construct and implement their LPs. Therefore, the thesis may be conceived as the introduction of a new comprehensive theory of LPs. Key-words: life projects, theory, narrative identity, personality, literature review, qualitative methods, psychometrics.

Purpose in Life: Addressing Transdiagnostic Psychopathologies Concerning Patients' Sense of Purpose

Article

Apr 2023

Having a purpose in life is strongly associated with well-being and quality of life. Some individuals develop their sense of purpose early in life and can sustain lifelong ideals. In contrast, we identify four transdiagnostic syndromes where purpose in life is impaired: 1) deficiencies in generating purpose; 2) loss of purpose due to traumatic events such as catastrophic illnesses or bereavements; 3) conflicts due to crossed purposes; and 4) maladaptive purposes, such as life-limiting single-minded goals, dominating others, or exacting revenge. Several psychotherapies associated with positive and existential psychologies help patients construct, reconstruct, or retain a sense of purpose. However, given the strong links between a sense of purpose and beneficial health and mental health outcomes, the authors suggest that many patients in psychiatric treatment including psychotherapies will benefit from attention to these issues. This article reviews approaches for assessing and addressing purpose in life in psychiatric treatment, to enhance patients' healthy sense of purpose where this characteristic is impaired.

The association between purpose in life and knowledge sharing behavior among Chinese university students: The mediating effects of gratitude

Article

Mar 2023

An Exploration in Social and Emotional Health of Vietnamese High School Students

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2023

Social and emotional health (SEH) aims to promote academic success and create school well-being. SEH has not been studied in Vietnam. This article focused on exploring the SEH of Vietnamese high school students because of the high-risk level in mental health that appeared in this group. The study was carried out using a qualitative case study approach to interviewing 74 students, 12 teachers, 7 school administrators, and 4 school counselors. We interpreted four features of SEH's expression of Vietnamese students: (1) Confident but lack of individual perspectives, (2) Respectful but lack of listening and empathy in school relationships, (3) Balanced but lack of authentic perception of emotions and effective emotional management, (4) Satisfied but lack of sustainability and action. This study has broadened our understanding of external behaviours and current limitations in the young people's SEH from their perspectives in a developing Southeast Asian country to promote positive psychological development in school-based prevention programs.

The moral teacher in global transition: The 2022 Kohlberg Memorial Lecture

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2022

Kirsi Tirri

According to Kohlberg, a moral teacher is an independent moral agent capable of addressing moral dilemmas based on general principles of justice. In addition to moral reasoning, teachers require competencies in moral sensitivity, moral motivation, and the implementation of morality. In the current period of global transition, moral sensitivity in teaching is particularly emphasized along with the skills to identify culture-invariant and culture-dependent moral factors. In this lecture, the role of the moral teacher is explored in the context of current global crises and everyday moral dilemmas in teaching. Purposefulness and professional ethics are identified as important assets for a moral teacher during the current global transition.

Shades of Gratitude: Exploring Varieties of Transcendent Beliefs and Experience

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2022

Abstract: The study of gratitude has expanded beyond interpersonal gratitude and considers how people respond to gifts that are not caused by human agency. Given the discord between the prominent understanding of gratitude requiring the appropriate recognition of a gift to a giver and the increasing divergence of transcendent belief systems that do not acknowledge a transcendent or cosmic giver, we explored how people with different worldviews viewed and experienced gratitude. Transcendence does not hinge on metaphysical beliefs, but it can be experienced phenomenologically and subjectively. We conducted a case-study narrative analysis (N = 6) that represents participants from three different categories of belief systems: theistic, non-theistic but spiritual, and other. Our findings demonstrate how people link their transcendent narrative identity to their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors pertaining to gratitude. Although the theistic participants thanked God for gifts, others who experienced transcendence without a clear referent or source described responding to gratitude by sharing goodness forward. These narratives suggest that the recognition and appreciation of a gift stemming from beyond human cause may be enough to generate transcendent emotions and values that prompt beyond-the-self behaviors. Keywords: gratitude; transcendent gratitude

Symptoms of complicated grief and depression following job loss: Can engagement in non‐work activities bring relief?

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2022

The present study aimed to examine whether day‐level engagement in non‐work activities can mitigate the adverse outcomes of job loss. Based on Jahoda’s latent deprivation model, we hypothesised that engaging in such activities (e.g., meeting others) can fulfil five basic needs (e.g., need for time structure) and that fulfilment of these needs mitigates the negative consequences of job loss. A diary study was conducted on five consecutive days among 236 participants who had involuntarily lost their job, yielding 1,046 daily measures of the time spent on activities, the evaluation of these activities, and emotional distress. Multilevel regression analyses showed that time spent on daily activities was associated with the degree of fulfilment of the basic needs and emotional distress, yet the effect sizes were small. Perceived utility of these daily activities showed more solid effect sizes with the basic needs and emotional distress. However, the mediation effect of the basic needs regarding the association between activities and emotional distress could not be confirmed. The present results suggest that, in addition to stimulating individuals who experience job loss‐related emotional distress to undertake certain activities, the evaluation of these activities should also be taken into account in tailor‐made interventions and preventive measures. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

A Spanish Adaptation and Validation of the Purpose in Life Test – Short Form (PIL-SF)

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2022

The distinction between meaning and purpose in life remains an ongoing debate in the empirical and theoretical literature; even so, there is general consensus in defining purpose in life as goal-directedness towards living a more meaningful life. Scales measuring this goal-directedness, specifically, rather than broad measures of meaning, are necessary to further this vein of research. The Purpose in Life Test (PIL), developed by Crumbaugh and Maholick in the 1960s, has been shown to be a valid instrument for measuring meaning and purpose. Four of the 20 items composing the PIL comprise the English Purpose in Life Test-Short Form (PIL-SF; Schulenberg et al., 2011), which have demonstrated greater internal coherence and greater precision for evaluating goal-directed purpose in life, specifically. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and factor structure of the Spanish PIL-SF. This validation involved two different samples of university students: sample A (N = 368) and sample B (N = 336). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported a 1-factor model, and reliability of the items was excellent. Results suggest that the Spanish PIL-SF is a valid and reliable measure of purpose in life, comparable to the English language PIL-SF.

Sense of Purpose: Comparing Athletes and Their Nonathlete Peers

Conference Paper

Jan 2019

Jennifer Hoffman

Sustainability as a purpose in life among Dutch higher education students

Article

Aug 2022

Given the prominence of sustainability in current global crises and the commitment of societies to the Sustainable Development Goals, this mixed methods study ascertains how Dutch higher education students (N = 549) integrate sustainability into their life purposes. From quantitative data, we identified four purpose profiles: purposeful (33%), dreamer (32%), self-oriented (18%), and disengaged (17%), signifying a potential commitment to sustainability among over half of the participating students. However, technology students differed from other respondents in that fewer of them were identified as having a purposeful profile and more of them were disengaged. The data reveal happiness (61%), work (22%), and sustainability (22%) as the most frequently mentioned contents of purposes, implying a more self-oriented picture than indicated in the profiles. The two case studies illustrate concrete ways of manifesting sustainability as a purpose in life. We discuss the educational implications of this, especially the need to enhance sustainability education in the domain of technology.

An interdisciplinary synthesis of research on understanding and promoting well-doing

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2022

People’s intentional pursuit of prosocial goals and values (i.e., well-doing) is critical to the flourishing of humanity in the long run. Understanding and promoting well-doing is a shared goal across many fields inside and outside of social and personality psychology. Several of these fields are (partially) disconnected from each other and could benefit from more integration of existing knowledge, interdisciplinary collaboration, and cross-fertilization. To foster the transfer and integration of knowledge across these different fields, we provide a brief overview with pointers to some of the key articles in each field, highlight connections, and introduce an integrative model of the psychological mechanisms of well-doing. We identify some gaps in the current understanding of well-doing, such as the paucity of research on well-doing with large and long-lasting positive consequences. Building on this analysis, we identify opportunities for high-impact research on well-doing in social and personality psychology, such as understanding and promoting the effective pursuit of highly impactful altruistic goals.

The impact of Confucianism on social and emotional health of Vietnamese adolescents: A phenomenological study

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2022
ACTA PSYCHOL

Confucianism has become an educational ideology in Vietnam and blended its philosophy with other religious and spiritual doctrines. The current study explores the impact of Confucianism on social and emotional health (SEH), which focuses on the skill-based aspect of Confucian Vietnamese adolescents. A hermeneutic phenome-nological study was chosen as an appropriate approach for collecting and interpreting descriptions of 15 Confucian Vietnamese adolescents to explore how these lived experiences have shaped their current perceptions of SEH. We have labeled the two shared common characteristics in the participants' various SEH experiences, including (1) Authentic perception of Confucian philosophy strengthens the self-esteem; (2) Positive practice of the 5-essential human virtues helps establish and maintain healthy, supportive relationships. The two essences reflected the positive impact of Confucianism on SEH of Vietnamese adolescents. The adolescents' SEH experiences are consistent with Confucian philosophy while at the same time not conflicting with other religious doctrines. The findings of this study have broadened our understanding of the applicability of socio-emotional competence models to promote positive psychological development in adolescents, and the feasible goal-setting in counseling and psychotherapy from different psychological theories about the combination of religious and spiritual practices.

Purpose in Life in Older Adults: A Systematic Review on Conceptualization, Measures, and Determinants

Article

Full-text available

May 2022
Int J Environ Res Publ Health

Purpose in life (PIL) is a psychological construct that reflects one’s life goals and the desire or determination to pursue them. Having a purpose provides an intrinsic motivation to adopt healthy behaviors as we age, which will help us to achieve positive health outcomes. Thus, promoting PIL is the cornerstone for successful aging and better health outcomes. This systematic review aims to identify how PIL is conceptualized, measured in the existing literature and what are the determinants of PIL in older adults (≥65 years). Electronic searches were conducted in five databases (Medline, PsychInfo, Embase, CINAHL and Web of Science). A total of 44 studies were included in the review. PIL was conceptualized in six different ways: health and well-being, meaningful goals and purpose, inner strength, social relationships, mattering to others, and spirituality and religiousness. There were six main questionnaires and semi structured interviews used to capture PIL. Female gender, higher education and income, being married, ethnicity, health and well-being, inner strength, social integration and spirituality were associated with PIL. Majority of the included studies had low to moderate Risk of Bias (RoB) assuring confidence in the results. The conceptual frameworks of PIL identified in the review underscore the complexity of the construct. Several sociodemographic and other determinants of PIL were identified.

“A New Hope” for Positive Psychology: A Dynamic Systems Reconceptualization of Hope Theory

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2022

In this review of the central tenets of hope theory, we examine the meta-theoretical, theoretical, and methodological foundations of the literature base. Our analysis moves from a broad examination of the research landscape in hope theory across disciplines, to a deeper investigation of the empirical literature in university students. This review highlights the significant impact of this body of research in advancing our understanding of aspects of thriving characterized by hope. However, we also evidence several limitations that may impede the advancement of the next wave of growth in this field. To address these limitations, we argue for an interdisciplinary approach to expanding the meta-theoretical, theoretical, and methodological horizons, enabling a more dynamic systems approach to the study of hope. Drawing on the intersection of positive psychology with systems thinking, we describe a methodological approach that enables a deeper examination of the processes and interactions through which hope emerges, using an analysis of the lived experience of young people. It is proposed that this research agenda will bring to life an alternate story about the resourcefulness of our youth through their own voice, enabling us to leverage this in the design of more effective strategies to facilitate hope in the future. This research agenda provides a roadmap that will provide alternative methodologies that address the current limitations in the field of hope research and, importantly, can provide fuel to spur on the acceleration of the next wave of research and practice in the field of positive psychology more broadly.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Chinese Version of the Claremont Purpose Scale among Youth

Article

Feb 2022

Purpose in life is critical to positive development among youth, especially those purposes that focus on an aspect of the world beyond the self. However, existing instruments have not adequately assessed beyond-the-self purpose. The Claremont Purpose Scale addresses the purpose construct, measuring the goal orientation, personal meaningfulness, and beyond-the-self focus among youth in the United States. We developed a version of the scale for use in the Chinese context among youth. In our two-part study, Study 1 developed the preliminary scale, and Study 2 evaluated its validity and reliability. The results indicated this scale is valuable for the assessment of the purpose of Chinese youth, has theoretical and practical implications for the measurement of beyond-the-self purpose, and can contribute to Chinese youth purpose research and future cross-cultural studies.

Purposeful Learning and Teaching in Finland

Chapter

Sep 2023

This chapter concerns purposeful learning and teaching in the Finnish context. Learning goals are established in the Finnish national curriculum, which identifies the core competences related to twenty-first-century skills. These goals call for committed teachers who can foster purposefulness in their students. We examined and discussed the life goals and purpose profiles of Finnish students at secondary school in the context of purposeful education. We also analyzed the pedagogical methods used in Finland and other countries to support students in finding a purpose in their studies and in their lives. We used examples from Finnish teacher education to emphasize its important role in educating purposeful teachers.

Hubungan Tujuan Hidup Dan Resiliensi Pada Remaja Yang Kehilangan Orang Tua Karena Meninggal Mendadak

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2022

One of the developmental tasks that teenagers must go through is an identity crisis. Parents play a role in directing adolescents towards self-identity, but there are adolescents who lose their parents due to death. The resilience needed to help teens deal with these difficult situations. So this is important to do, especially for teenagers who have lost their parents because they died directly. Factors that play an important role in resilience, namely the purpose of life, the purpose of life will affect how to think and interpret certain events. This study aims to determine the relationship between life goals and resilience in adolescents who lost their parents due to murder. This study uses a quantitative approach with a correlational method. Participants in the study were 99 people with purposive sampling technique in accordance with the criteria determined by the researcher. The instrument used to measure consists of two scales, the life goals scale which was developed based on the theory of Crumbaugh and Maholik (1964) (α=0.961) and the resilience scale which was developed based on the theory of Conor-Davidson (2003) (α = 0.959). The data analysis technique used is the person product moment, the correlation coefficient value is 0.877 with a significance of 0.001 (α 0.05) which can be said that there is a relationship between life and resilience with a very strong degree of relationship, the direction of the relationship is positive, which means the higher the purpose of life, the higher the resilience Abstrak: Tugas perkembangan yang harus dilalui remaja salah satunya yaitu krisis identitas. Orang tua berperan untuk mengarahkan remaja menuju identitas diri yang positif, namun terdapat remaja yang kehilangan orang tua karena meninggal dunia. Resiliensi dibutuhkan untuk membantu remaja bangkit dalam menghadapi situasi sulit tersebut. Sehingga penelitian ini penting dilakukan, khususnya pada remaja yang kehilangan orang tua karena meninggal secara mendadak. Faktor yang berperan penting dalam resiliensi yaitu, tujuan hidup akan mempengaruhi bagaimana cara berpikir dan memaknai peristiwa tertentu. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan antara tujuan hidup dan resiliensi pada remaja yang kehilangan orang tua karena meninggal mendadak. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan metode korelasional. Partisipan dalam penelitian sebanyak 99 orang dengan teknik purposive sampling sesuai dengan kriteria yang ditentukan oleh peneliti. Instrumen yang digunakan untuk mengukur terdiri dari dua skala, skala tujuan hidup dikembangkan berdasarkan teori Crumbaugh dan Maholik (1964) (α=0.961) dan skala resiliensi dikembangkan peneliti berdasarkan teori milik Conor-Davidson (2003) (α = 0,959). Teknik analisis data yang digunakan yaitu person product moment didapatkan nilai koefisien korelasi sebesar 0,877 dengan signifikansi 0,001 (α ≤ 0,05) yang dapat disimpulkan bahwa terdapat hubungan antara tujuan hidup dengan resiliensi dengan derajat hubungan yang sangat kuat, arah hubungan pada variabel positif yang berarti semakin tinggi tujuan hidup maka semakin tinggi pula resiliensi

Projetos de vida e o Good Work: a busca por uma formação profissional plena

Chapter

Full-text available

May 2023

Texto completo: https://doi.org/10.51795/9786526504512

Posttraumatic growth, purpose, and trauma in university survivors of sexual assault

Article

May 2023
J AM COLL HEALTH

Objective: This study focused on purpose as a key mechanism of posttraumatic growth for university student survivors of sexual assault. Participants: An online survey was completed by 278 participants of various ethnic, racial and gender backgrounds, recruited through email, social media, department subject pools, and Amazon Mechanical Turk. Methods: Researchers used mixed methods, concurrent triangulation approach in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected simultaneously with closed and open-ended questions. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression demonstrated that age, purpose in life, high magnitude stressors, and trauma history were significantly related to posttraumatic growth. Emergent themes described the impacts of sexual assault, how sexual assault impacts purpose, and ways in which purpose impacted posttraumatic growth. Conclusion: Results confirmed the association of purpose with posttraumatic growth as well as other key impacts of trauma that should be investigated further. Next steps include evaluating therapeutic interventions focused on purpose.

Dos contextos educativos e formativos ao mundo do trabalho: implicações para a construção de carreira

Book

Full-text available

Jan 2023

Do associations between sense of purpose, social support, and loneliness differ across the adult lifespan?

Article

Mar 2023
PSYCHOL AGING

Past research has suggested that the path to purpose involves connections with people along the way. In support, sense of purpose appears higher amongst those adults with more positive social relationships and interactions. However, research has yet to consider whether associations between sense of purpose and social relationship variables differ across adulthood. The present study examined this claim using a sample of Swiss adults, who completed measures for sense of purpose, loneliness, received support, and provided support. A large, nationally representative sample of 2,312 Swiss adults (52.34 years old; SD = 17.35) completed these measures, as part of a larger survey. Local structural equation modeling was employed to estimate the means and associations of these constructs across adulthood. Sense of purpose was negatively associated with loneliness, but positively associated overall with both support variables. No evidence was found for age moderation for the association between sense of purpose and loneliness. However, moderation was evidenced insofar that sense of purpose was less associated with both support variables with age. Sense of purpose again appears related to more positive social well-being and relationships, and consistently linked to lower loneliness. The age moderation effects for purpose-support associations are discussed with respect to theories of adult development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Discovering and Pursuing Purpose in Trying Times

Chapter

Feb 2023

Kendall Cotton Bronk

Over the past twenty years, research on purpose has increased dramatically, and this growing body of research consistently points to a myriad of physical, psychological, social, and even academic benefits associated with leading a life of purpose, especially among emerging adults. However, much of this research has focused on young people amidst times of relative calm and tranquility. What does the pursuit of purpose look like among young people amidst times of turbulence? Are young people likely to pursue lives of purpose during challenging times, and if so, what does this look like? What does it entail? In addition to offering a definition of purpose, the present chapter synthesizes research across different disciplines to argue that emerging adults are motivated to pursue purposes during trying times, despite the enhanced challenges associated with doing so. More specifically, this chapter outlines a conceptualization of purpose used regularly in research on the topic, references literature on the benefits of leading a life of purpose—especially during challenging times—and reviews relevant empirical research on the external supports and internal characteristics that enable individuals to pursue purposes amidst hardship. Implications for helping young people around the world lead lives of purpose, especially during trying times, are also addressed.KeywordsPurpose in lifeEmerging adulthoodPositive youth development

Life purposes: Comparing higher education students in four institutions in the Netherlands and Finland

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2023

Universities worldwide are beginning to counter the prevailing neo-liberal ideology by paying renewed attention to the moral development of students and fostering their life purposes. This mixed methods study investigates the life purposes of higher education students in four institutions in the Netherlands (nDutch = 663) and Finland (nFinnish = 846). Based on quantitative data, we identified four purpose profiles: purposeful, self-oriented, dreamer, and disengaged. Qualitative data showed that students’ willingness to contribute to a better world was not particularly prominent. An exception was found in the data of a Dutch research university working with a specific worldview and value base and emphasizing moral education. We conclude that universities need to put more effort into educating young professionals whose life purpose goes beyond their self-interest and who are willing and able to address pressing societal and global problems. This particularly includes professionals in the domains of technology and economy.

A co-citation analysis of purpose: trends and (potential) troubles in the foundation of purpose scholarship

Article

Jan 2023

This article represents the first document co-citation on the purpose construct. Document co-citation is a bibliometric methodology that provides a clear, systematic structure for examining the intellectual foundations of a field or construct. Our analysis yielded several novel insights, including a few potentially troubling ones. For instance, it revealed that the origins of purpose, a construct that has deep roots in philosophy and significant implications for a variety of fields, derived almost exclusively from the study of psychology. Foundational work was primarily conducted by scholars in North America, and early conceptualizations of purpose were inconsistent. Originating documents often used the term interchangeably with meaning. These practices, which have persisted at least to some degree, are likely to yield inconsistent and unreliable conclusions. Implications of our findings as well as cautions and directions for future research are addressed.

Understanding how a cancer diagnosis can shape young people’s views of the future and their purpose in life

Article

Mar 2022

Purpose formation often coincides with identity development, but what happens when these processes are disrupted by a cancer diagnosis, as is the case for more than 70,000 US young people each year? How does a cancer diagnosis shape adolescents’ and young adults’ views of their future and their purposes in life? To explore these questions, we conducted interviews with adolescent and young adult cancer survivors (AYA; N = 40). Findings suggest that following a diagnosis, nearly all participants feared their futures could be severely limited, which led a few to react with high levels of anxiety, a few others to focus on living in the moment, and most to commit to using their remaining time engaged in personally meaningful, generative activities. Nearly all participants reflected seriously on their purpose in life. Implications of these findings for AYAs, their caregivers, and others experiencing life-threatening illnesses during this formative period, are addressed.

Exploring the Relationship between Purpose and Moral Psychological Indicators

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2022
ETHICS BEHAV

Hyemin Han

In the present study, I explore the relationship between purpose, which was measured by the Claremont Purpose Scale, and moral psychological indicators, moral reasoning, moral identity, and empathy. Purpose was quantified in terms of three subcomponents: meaning, goal, and beyond-the-self motivation. Moral reasoning was assessed in term of utilization of postconventional moral reasoning. Moral identity was examined with two subscales: moral internalization, and symbolization. Among diverse subscales of empathy, I focused on empathic concern and perspective taking, which have been reported to be strongly related to morality. To explore the best prediction models using the data, I employed Bayesian Model Selection and Bayesian regression analysis. In general, purpose was significantly predicted by most surveyed moral psychological indicators but not by moral symbolization. The best prediction model for beyond-the-self motivation included the most moral psychological indicator predictors including moral reasoning, which did not significantly predict other dependent variables.

The Comprehensive Measure of Meaning: Psychological and Philosophical FoundationsPsychological and Philosophical Foundations

Chapter

Full-text available

Apr 2021

Psychological researchers have advanced several instruments to measure meaning. Philosophers have debated the objective versus subjective status of meaning in life and on the global versus individual or personal aspects of meaning. In this chapter, the authors make use of an emerging consensus in the psychology literature concerning a tripartite structure of meaning as cognitive coherence , affective significance , and motivational direction . They enrich this understanding with important philosophical distinctions to distinguish subdomains within this tripartite understanding. The authors use relevant philosophical distinctions to classify existing measurement items into a seven-fold structure intended to more comprehensively assess an individual’s sense of meaning. The proposed measure, with three items in each subdomain drawn from previous scales, constitutes what is put forward as the Comprehensive Measure of Meaning to hopefully enrich the empirical research on the assessment of, and on the causes and effects of, having a sense of meaning.

What College Students Are After and Why

Article

Jul 2022

Public discourse often frames the value of undergraduate education in financial terms—credentialing and increased earning power. Students must prepare to be self-supporting, but are financial prospects their only important goals? We asked 1,500 students from 11 U.S. colleges to write about their goals, the reasons their goals were important, and how they were pursuing those goals. Most articulated goals of self-actualization, meaning, and contribution to their chosen fields and to the common good. Almost all reported that they were actively pursuing their goals, including through academic and other programs provided by their colleges. By building on students’ aspirations as described in the study as well as their motivation in pursuing them, today’s colleges can help students engage more fully with their education and more effectively prepare them for lives of meaning and purpose.

The role of spirituality and religious faith in supporting purpose in adolescence

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2008

Meaning in Life and Psychological Well-Being in Pre-Adolescents and Adolescents

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2007

This study examined meaning in life and psychological well-being in male and female students of pre-adolescence and adolescence periods. A total of 104 students were randomly selected from various schools. Of these, 54 students were from class 12 and 50 students from class 9. Two questionnaires, one Personal Meaning Profile (PMP) by Wong and another Well-Being Manifestation Measure Scale (WBMMS) by Masse et al. were administered on the subjects. It was hypothesized that there will be significant differences in the perception of life as meaningful and psychological well-being of different groups of students. t-test was applied to analyze the data. Besides discussing the results, applied aspects of a meaningful life and psychological well-being are also discussed. Adolescence is a very critical and important stage in the development of human being. Most of the physiological, psychological, and social changes within the person take place during this period of life. The period of adolescence can be looked upon as a time of more struggle and turmoil than childhood. Adolescents have long been regarded as a group of people who are searching for themselves to find some form of identity and meaning in their lives (Erikson, 1968). They struggle to find a meaning of self. Having meaning or purpose in life can solve the identity crisis that a person normally faces during this period. Meaning in life typically involves having a goal or a sense of unified purpose (Baumeister, 1991; Ryff, 1989). Recker, Peacock and Wong (1987), defined meaning as it "refers to making sense, order, or coherence out of one's existence and having a purpose and striving toward a goal or goals".

Testing Construct Validity of the 13-Item Sense of Coherence Scale in a Sample of Older People

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2011
Open Geriatr Med J

Ulf Jakobsson

The aim was to study the construct validity for the 13-item Sense of Coherence (SOC) scale among people aged 75+. This study comprised 1753 people aged 76–102 years. Construct validity was measured in terms of the instrument's factor structure as well as discriminant and convergent validity. The result revealed that the instrument failed to show acceptable construct validity in any of the tests or in any age group. The correlation analyses exhibited no clear pattern that could be interpreted as evidence of acceptable construct validity, and the result of the factor analyses did not support the factor structure proposed by Antonovsky. However, this does not necessarily mean that the theoretical concept is invalid, but that this version of the instrument may not be representative of the Sense of Coherence theory.

The Effects of Ethnic Identity, Ethnicity, and Gender on Adolescent Well-Being

Article

Full-text available

Oct 1997

Ethnic identity was conceptualized into three categories: (1) unexamined, (2) searching for identity, and (3) achieved ethnic identity. Analyses of data collected from 12,386 adolescents showed that ethnic identity is an important qualifier of the relationships between independent variables of ethnicity and gender, and dependent variables of global self-esteem, academic self-confidence, and purpose in life. Whites and Native Americans had lower ethnic identity, and Blacks and Hispanics had higher ethnic identity. Asians and repondents of mixed ethnicity had intermediate levels of ethnic identity. The greater the ethnic identity, the higher the self-esteem, purpose in life and self-confidence. This mechanism applies to ethnic minorities and to women among whom achieved ethnic identity may blunt the negative effects of social denigration and stereotyping, and it applies to whites, too. The paper argues that multiculturalism in the schools can increase ethnic identity.

Marcia and erikson: The relationships among ego identity status, neuroticism, dogmatism, and purpose in life

Article

Full-text available

Feb 1983

Implicit in James Marcia's writings and in the many studies that have employed his measure of ego identity is the assumption that his four ego identity statuses are developmentally ordered along a continuum from "being identity diffused" to "achieving" an ego identity. In order to assess the validity of this assumption, hypotheses were generated and tested concerning the relationship between the above ordering and Erikson's writings regarding the role played in the process of identity formation by the following three variables: neuroticism, dogmatism, and a sense of purpose in life. If one assumes that Erikson's perspective is valid, then the results of this study fail to support Marcia's continuum assumption. While some of the identity statuses appear to classify persons in a manner consistent with Erikson's writings, not one instance of the postulated ordering of Marcia's four statuses is observed. It is concluded that Marcia's measure is not an adequate operationalization of Erikson's perspective on identity formation.

Youth purpose and the perception of social supports among African-American girls

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2011

Purpose in adolescence is linked to positive developmental outcomes, and yet little is known about how youth purpose is supported by people and institutions that occupy the ecologies in which young people are embedded. Little is known too about how African-American youths envision themselves in the future, and understanding the nature of their purposes may uncover critical information about these adolescents' aspirations. Associations between purpose and social supports were examined in a sample of 46 adolescent girls in the southeastern United States (Mean age = 12.83 years; SD = 1.14 years) (African-American/Black = 78.3%; Multiracial = 15.2%; White/Caucasian = 6.5%). Qualitative content analysis of interviews identified five forms of purpose experienced by these young people. Surveys measured perceived presence and importance of social supports of parents, teachers, close friends, classmates, and school environment, as well as emotional, informational, appraisal, and instrumental support across these sources. Adolescents with more diffuse purpose forms reported greater social support from school, and in some cases, from teachers, than did adolescents with more complete purpose forms. The diffuse purpose form groups reported that school support was more important to them than did the other groups. Implications of the findings are discussed.

How forgiveness, purpose, and religiosity are related to the mental health and well-being of youth: A review of the literature

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2007
Ment Health Relig Cult

Youth today often face challenges that can undermine important opportunities to achieve their full potential in school, in the workplace, in relationships, and within themselves. This article reviews the literature addressing certain personal qualities that have shown promise in the promotion of youth resilience against such threats. More specifically, the values of forgiveness, purpose, and religiosity are considered. The purpose of this literature review is to bring attention to the promise that this body of research has shown and to encourage the continued empirical study of forgiveness, purpose, and religiosity, particularly within the realm of youth mental health and well-being. First, operational definitions of these constructs are discussed. This is followed by discussion of theoretical, clinical, and empirical support for the benefits of strongly upholding values related to forgiveness, purpose, and religiosity during youth. Finally, practical implications and directions for future research are offered.

Identity Status, Identity Processing Style, and the Transition to University

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2000

The present study investigated the role that differences in identity orientations may play as students negotiate the transition to a university context. Measures of identity status, identity processing style, and student developmental tasks were administered to 363 entering university freshmen. Results indicated that differences in identity statuses accounted for significant variation in the students’ progress on measures of academic autonomy, educational involvement, and mature interpersonal relationships. Moreover, in most cases these associations were mediated by the students’identity processing style. In general, the findings suggest that students with an informational identity style are best prepared to effectively adapt within a university context, whereas those with a diffuse/avoidant style are most apt to encounter difficulties.

Parenthood and Psychological Well-BeingTheory, Measurement, and Stage in the Family Life Course

Article

Full-text available

Dec 1989

There are theoretical foundations in sociology for two seemingly incompatible positions: (1) children should have a strong negative impact on the psychological well-being of parents and (2) children should have a strong positive impact on the psychological well-being of parents. Most empirical analyses yield only a modest relationship between parenthood and psychological well-being. Usually, but not always, it is negative. In this study we consider the relationship between parental status and several dimensions of psychological well-being. Our analysis is based on data from a large national survey. It suggests that children have positive and negative effects on the psychological well-being of parents. The balance of positive and negative effects associated with parenthood depends on residential status of the child, age of youngest child, marital status of the parent, and the particular dimension of psychological well-being examined. When compared with nonparents, parents with children in the home have low levels of affective well-being and satisfaction, and high levels of life-meaning; parents with adult children living away from home have high levels of affective well-being, satisfaction, and life-meaning. The widowed appear to benefit most from parenthood and the divorced appear to experience the greatest costs.

A Grounded Theory of the Development of Noble Youth Purpose

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2012

Kendall Cotton Bronk

Having a noble purpose in life is an important component of positive youth development; however, little is known about how noble purposes develop over time. Therefore, using three waves of interviews over a 5-year period with 9 adolescents (N = 9) who demonstrated intense commitments to various noble purposes, the present study developed a grounded theory of the development of noble purpose, including a focus on how commitment was initiated, sustained, increased, and changed over time. Results revealed the exemplars made commitments early in life. With the exception of triggering experiences, which immediately intensified their level of commitment, commitment generally grew slowly but steadily in response to positive feedback. Mentors and like-minded peers played an important role in supporting noble purposes over time, and access to new resources led exemplars to expand their focus. Implications for supporting the development of noble purposes are addressed.

The Role of Purposeful Work Goals in Promoting Meaning in Life and in Schoolwork During Adolescence

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2009

What type of work goals provide adolescents with the sense that schoolwork is important and that their lives are meaningful? This mixed-methods study of a diverse sample of 6th-, 9th-, and 12th-grade adolescents (N = 148) investigated the relationship between work goals, purpose, and meaning using a semistructured interview and a survey. Interview analyses showed that multiple motives were normative (68%), and that 30% of adolescents aspired to an occupation that would allow them to contribute to the world beyond themselves. Regression analyses found that adolescents with purposeful work goals also reported more meaning in life and in schoolwork than those who did not.

Youth purpose among the ‘greatest generation’

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2012

Purpose is a stable and generalized intention to accomplish something that is at once important to self and directed at making a difference in the world beyond the self. In the present study, ratings of one aspect of purpose, pro-social beyond-the-self intentions, were gleaned from data collected from young men attending college between 1938 and 1942 as a part of the Study of Adult Development. Associations were examined between pro-social beyond-the-self intentions and childhood environment, and between pro-social beyond-the-self intentions and college and adult personality, psychological adjustment, and achievement. Higher levels of pro-social beyond-the-self intentions were associated with informant ratings of global impressions of positive childhood environment, and with humanistic, political, and well-integrated personality dispositions in college.

Cultural Differences in Self-EvaluationJapanese Readily Accept Negative Self-Relevant Information

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2001

The authors investigated compensatory self-enhancement in Japanese and Canadian university students. Research has revealed that when North Americans publicly discover a weakness in one self domain, they typically bolster their self-assessments in another unrelated domain. This effect is less commonly found in private settings. Following a private failure experience on a creativity task, Canadians discounted the negative feedback, although they did not exhibit a compensatory self-enhancing response. In contrast, Japanese were highly responsive to the failure feedback and showed evidence of reverse compensatory self-enhancement. This study provides further evidence that self-evaluation maintenance strategies are elusive among Japanese samples.

Affect, Meaning and Quality of Life

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2006
SOC FORCES

Michael Hughes

Research on quality of life in sociology is largely focused on a narrow range of dimensions including affect, happiness and satisfaction. It largely avoids a concern with the meanings that provide people with the purpose, significance, validity and coherence that are a basis of social relationships and social integration. Evidence is presented that people experience lowered affect in some challenging and stressful situations that simultaneously generate meanings that enhance the quality of their lives, and that experiences of high affect along with impoverished meanings produce low quality of life. This strongly suggests that meaning may be a more fundamental dimension of life quality than is affect. Meanings may also enhance the quality of life by motivating people's involvement in activities that promote social integration and the quality of social relationships. Sociologists should work to further develop the theoretical and empirical basis of quality of life so that it more fully includes dimensions that reflect the meanings that provide purpose and significance in people's lives.

College Student Retention: An Exploration of the Relationship Between Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Purpose in Life Among College Students

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2009
J COLL STUDENT DEV

We investigated the association between Frankl’s (1985, 1988) construct of purpose in life with Bandura’s (1977, 1997) theory of self-efficacy as a possible predictor of students who may be at risk for leaving school. For this study, 344 undergraduate college students (233 females, 111 males; 76% White/Caucasian, 10% Asian American/Asian, 7% African American/African, 5% multiracial/multicultural or other, 2% non-White/Hispanic; 79% freshmen, 13% sophomores, 4% juniors, 3% seniors, 1% unspecified grade/year level) completed the Purpose in Life Test, Part A (Crumbaugh & Maholick, 1964); the College Self-Efficacy Inventory (Solberg, O’Brien, Villarreal, Kennel, & Davis, 1993); the Scale of Perceived Social Self-Efficacy (Smith & Betz, 2000); the General Self-Efficacy Subscale of the Self-Efficacy Scale (Sherer et al., 1982); and finally, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (Crowne & Marlow, 1960). All of the variables of self-efficacy were significantly (p < .01) and positively correlated with purpose in life. Regression analysis revealed that general self-efficacy was the most significant predictor of Purpose in Life scores. The current study lends support to the idea of creating interventions based on self-efficacy theory in order to positively influence students’ subjective sense of purpose in life for the purpose of improving college student retention.

Purpose in life among high ability adolescents

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2010
HIGH ABIL STUD

Leading high ability scholars have proposed theories that suggest a purpose in life may be particularly prevalent among high ability youth; however, the prevalence of purpose has not been empirically assessed among this population. Therefore using in‐depth interviews the present study established the prevalence of purpose among a sample of high ability adolescents and compared it to the prevalence of purpose among a sample of typical youth (N= 203). Results revealed that purpose was present among high ability early and late adolescents at roughly the same rate as among more typical youth. However, high ability youth reported embracing self‐oriented life goals earlier than more typical youth, and they identified different types of inspiring life purposes. Implications, including steps practitioners can take to foster purpose among high ability youth, are addressed.

Meaning levels and drug-abuse therapy: An empirical study

Article

Jan 1997

M.A. Noblejas de la Flor

Purpose-driven life

Article

Jan 2009

B. Boyd

Meaning in life and psychological well-being in Chinese college students

Article

Jan 1993

Daniel Shek

Types and depth of written life meanings

Article

Jan 1998

P. Ebersole

The Life Purpose Questionnaire: An alternative to the Purpose-in-Life test for geriatric, neuropsychiatric patients

Article

Jan 1982

Humility among adolescent purpose exemplars

Article

Jan 2008

Kendall Cotton Bronk

Meaning in life and positive and negative well-being

Article

Jan 2002

Changes in college students' attitudes and intentions for civic involvement as a function of service-learning experiences

Article

Jan 2002

The development of personal meaning and wisdom in adolescence: A reexamination of moderating and consolidating factors and influences

Article

Jan 1998

P.S. Fry

The sense of coherence: Development of a research instrument

Article

Jan 1983

A. Antonovsky

Religiosity and happiness: No evidence for an association among undergraduates

Article

Jan 1997
PERS INDIV DIFFER

The aim of the present work was to test for an association between religiosity and happiness. In the first study, 154 undergraduate students completed the Francis Scale of Attitude towards Christianity (FSAC: Francis & Stubbs, 1987), the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS: Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffen, 1985), and the Depression-Happiness Scale (D-H S: McGreal & Joseph, 1993). No association was found between scores on the FSAC and scores on the SWLS (r = 0.03, NS) or between scores on the FSAC and scores on the D-H S (r = - 0.02, NS). In the second study, 67 undergraduate students completed the FSAC, the Purpose in Life Test (PIL: Crumbaugh, 1968), and the D-H S, No association was found between scores on the FSAC and scores on the PIL (r = 0.12, NS) or between scores on the FSAC and scores on the D-H S (r = -0.09, NS). The present data provide no evidence that, among two samples of undergraduate students, religious people are happier.

Meaning in Life and Adolescent Antisocial and Prosocial Behavior in a Chinese Context

Article

Jan 1994

The abstract for this document is available on CSA Illumina.To view the Abstract, click the Abstract button above the document title.

The interpretation of life experience and well-being: the sample case of relocation.

Article

Dec 1992

Social psychological theories of the self postulate mechanisms through which individuals interpret their life experiences to ensure positive self-evaluation. This framework was applied to a sample of aging women (N = 120, M age = 74.9 years) who had experienced community relocation. The authors measured their reasons for moving (push factors), reasons for selecting the new setting, (pull factors), and interpretive mechanisms, including how they compared with others in their new setting, how they were viewed by significant others following the move, how their behaviors changed following relocation, and whether the above evaluations occurred in life domains central to their sense of self. Regression analyses showed that push-pull factors and interpretive mechanisms accounted for substantial variance in multiple aspects of psychological well-being, particularly environmental mastery, purpose in life, and positive relations with others.

Bias in Meaning in Life Ratings

Article

Dec 1989

A measure of depth of meaning in life, the Meaning in Life Depth instrument (MILD), was checked for two possible sources of bias in the depth ratings made by 113 college student-judges. The judges rated for depth of meaning 10 essays written by other individuals. The judges also indicated the categories of meaning they personally most preferred. The judges' ratings of the 10 essays were then matched with their own categories of meaning preference to see if they preferred (were biased toward) essays similar in type of meaning to theirs. This type of bias was found, and suggestions were made about dealing with this problem. Age bias, the second type of bias investigated, did not occur; that is, the judges did not systematically prefer essays written by people of their approximate age over those written by older people.

Belief and Behavior: Does Religion Matter in Today's Marriage?

Article

Aug 1995

The impact of changes in religiosity on marital quality and vice versa was assessed using longitudinal data from a large sample (n = 1,008) of married persons. Little support is found for the idea that an increase in religious activity im proves marital relations. Although increases in religiosity slightly decrease the probability of considering divorce, they neither enhance marital happiness or interaction nor decrease conflict and problems commonly thought to cause divorce. On the other hand, an increase in marital happiness slightly increases two of the five dimensions of religiosity considered-the extent to which religion influences daily life and church service attendance, which is also affected by increases in marital interaction. In general, the link between religion and marital quality is both reciprocal and weak.

Family Behaviors among Early U.S. Baby Boomers: Exploring the Effects of Religion and Income Change, 1965-1982

Article

Dec 1997

Timothy T. Clydesdale

This article explores the interrelationships of religion, income, and family behaviors to evaluate culture “war” and “toolkit” theories. In analyzing a 1965–82 panel study of early U.S. baby boomers, analyses revealed that (1) while religious beliefs did not affect involvement in children's education, contact with parents, or incidence of divorce, regular worship attendance clustered with greater involvement in children's education, frequent parent contact, and staying married; (2) possessing an upper income, and rising to one especially, is associated with a doubled to quadrupled likelihood of divorce; (3) religion and income demonstrate significant associations with family behavior, even in controlled multivariate analyses. Results imply the culture war model is overstated, while the cultural toolkit model offers a more plausible explanation for simultaneous ideological contestation and behavioral conformity.

Frankl's logotherapy: A new orientation in counseling

Article

Oct 1971

James C. Crumbaugh

The Purpose In Life Questionnaire in a Chinese Context

Article

Jan 1987

The Chinese version of the Purpose In Life Questionnaire was administered to 480 post-secondary school students and found to have high internal consistency as a scale and high item-total correlations for most of the items. Factor analysis with a five-factor solution showed that five factors were abstracted from the scale, namely, Quality of Life, Meaning of Existence, Answers to Existence, Constraint of Existence, and Future Existence/Self-responsibility. Further analyses of the normative data showed that the mean total score of the Chinese students was comparatively lower than that of the Western students reported in previous studies. Also, those with religious beliefs scored higher than those without them.

The relationship between bible reading and purpose in life among 13–15-year-olds

Article

May 2000
Ment Health Relig Cult

Leslie Francis

The relationship between bible reading and perceived purpose in life is explored among a sample of 25,888 13–15-year-olds throughout England and Wales, alongside information about sex, age, personality, belief in God and church attendance. The conclusion is drawn that bible reading makes a small but unique contribution to promoting a sense of purpose in life among this age group.

Purpose: Giftedness in intrapersonal intelligence

Article

Dec 2009

Seana Moran

Purpose is an internal compass that integrates engagement in activities that affect others, self‐awareness of one’s reasons, and the intention to continue these activities. We argue that purpose represents giftedness in intrapersonal intelligence, which processes information related to self, identity, self‐regulation, and one’s place in the world. Purpose is an extraordinary achievement. It is an ideal that young people are expected to accomplish by the end of high school, yet in our mixed methods study, only 26% of our sample overall (N=270 youth age 12–22) expressed a purpose. Still, purpose can be achieved precociously. Some youth achieve purpose much earlier than the norm: 11 6th graders in our sample showed a purpose.

Does a Lack of Life Meaning Cause Boredom? Results from Psychometric, Longitudinal, and Experimental Analyses

Article

Mar 2009
J SOC CLIN PSYCHOL

Existential theory and previous qualitative research have suggested that a lack of life meaning and purpose causes boredom, as well as other types of negative affect such as depression or anxiety. Although these variables have been shown to be correlated at one point in time, the relationships among these constructs have not been investigated using a controlled, quantitative research design. In Study 1 a (N = 131), boredom was shown to be related to, yet psychometrically distinct from, life meaning, depression, and anxiety. In Study 1b (N = 88), life meaning significantly predicted changes in boredom across time while depression and anxiety did not. In addition, boredom was a significant predictor of changes in life meaning across time, while depression and anxiety were not. Finally, in Study 2 (N = 102), manipulating perceptions of life meaning significantly changed boredom, while a manipulation of mood did not. The nature of the relationship between life meaning and boredom, as well as some clinical implications, are discussed.

The Divided Self Revisited: Effects of Self-Concept Clarity and Self-Concept Differentiation on Psychological Adjustment

Article

Sep 2001
J SOC CLIN PSYCHOL

This article presents two studies that tested the ability of self-concept differentiation (SCD) and self-concept clarity (SCC) to predict levels of psychological adjustment. In Study 1, 133 college students rated themselves on measures of Self-Esteem, Purpose in Life, Sense of Coherence, Affect Balance, General Contentment, Depression, Anxiety, and Self-Disclosure Flexibility. After controlling for SCD, the addition of SCC resulted in a 9% to 33% increase in the explained variance using hierarchical multiple regression. Study 2 extended these finding to an inpatient psychiatric population (N = 31), again finding that measures of psychological adjustment were more strongly related to self-concept clarity than to self-concept differentiation. Results are interpreted as extending and qualifying Donahue et al.'s (1993) position regarding the negative impact of a "divided self" on psychological adjustment.

Self-Efficacy and Hispanic College Students: Validation of the College Self-Efficacy Instrument

Article

Feb 1993

Self-efficacy theory was proposed as an important determinant in Hispanic college student adjustment. Self-efficacy refers to the strength of a person's belief that they are able to produce a given behavior, and operationally. college self-efficacy was defined as a student's degree of confidence that they could successfully complete a given college-related task (e.g., taking notes, asking a question in class, etc.). The College Self-Efficacy Inventory was validated using a sample of 164 Mexican-American andLatino-American college students who responded to a survey questionnaire (response rate = 51.7%). Principal components analysis of the 20-item instrumentyielded three subscales: course efficacy (e.g., writing papers, doing well on ecxams), social efficacy (e.g., talking with professors, making friends at the university), and roommate efficacy (e.g., socializing with roommates, dividing apartment space). The subscales were found to have strong internal consistency and demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity.

Factor structure, construct validity and reliability of the seeking of noetic goals (SONG) and purpose in life (PIL) tests

Article

Jan 1979
J CLIN PSYCHOL

Examined the factor structure, construct validity, and reliability of the SONG and the PIL in a sample of 248 introductory psychology students. Ten interpretable independent dimensions of satisfaction with life were extracted, with 6 factors that loaded on the PIL and 4 that loaded on the SONG. These data support Crumbaugh's (1977) assertion that the SONG is a complementary scale to the PIL contributing factors that deal with the strength of motivation to find meaning and purpose in life. In addition, the SONG and the PIL were shown to be highly reliable and valid instruments. Further research that uses SONG-PIL factor scores and profile analysis is recommended.

The Purpose in Life Scale: Psychometric Properties for Social Drinkers and Drinkers in Alcohol Treatment

Article

Oct 2003
EDUC PSYCHOL MEAS

The aim of the present research was to further investigate (a) the structure of the Purpose in Life test (PIL) using confirmatory factor analytic techniques,(b) the reliability of PIL scores, and (c) the validity of the PIL. Participants were 357 social drinkers (not in alcohol treatment) and 137 treatment drinkers (in alcohol treatment). With the exclusion of 3 items, a unidimensional measurement model for the PIL provided an adequate fit for social and treatment drinkers. Model invariance analysis indicated that 6 of 17 PIL items had different pattern coefficients for the two groups of drinkers. The 17 items of the PIL demonstrated good measurement reliability for both groups of drinkers and good criterion-related validity

Goal Contents, Well-being, and Life Context During Transition to University: A Longitudinal Study

Article

Apr 1997

To examine the relationships between young adults’ goal contents, their life situation, experienced life events, and subjective well-being, 256 university students filled in the Little’s Personal Project Analysis (PPA), the revised Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI), Rosenberg’s Self-esteem Scale (RSE), and a background questionnaire at the beginning of their studies. One year later, they also completed a life event scale (LES). Two years later, they again filled in the PPA, BDI, RSE, LES, and a background questionnaire. The results showed that an earlier life situation such as being married and having children was associated with interest in family-related goals, which again predicted subsequent transitions in this life domain. Moreover, goals that concern major age-graded developmental tasks, such as a future family, were found to predict high subjective well-being. In turn, high subjective well-being also predicted interest in these types of goals. By way of contrast, low self-esteem predicted interest in self-related goals, which again were associated with low well-being later on.

Leadership Studies of Chinese and Chinese-Americans

Article

Dec 1970

Robert D. Meade

Chinese college students in Hong Kong and Chinese-American college students in Hawaii ranked a list of 9 issues of critical concern to them and their college in terms of their relative importance. These students then met in groups of 6 with a group leader who had been trained in authoritarian, democratic and laissez-faire leadership atmospheres and who utilized one of these conditions. The group was required to discuss the 9 issues and arrive at a group ranking. Finally, all subjects ranked the same issues individually a second time. Intercorrelations between group and final individual rankings were made. With Chinese subjects, it was found that authoritarian leadership produced a greater degree of cohesiveness of judgment than laissez-faire or democratic. Male leaders produced greater cohesiveness of group judgment than females. Emergent male leaders appeared in the female laissez-faire conditions but not when the laissez-faire leader was male. With Chinese-Americans, both democratic and authoritarian leadership atmospheres produced a high level of group cohesion of judgment. Male leaders were more successful in this respect than females. No emergent leaders appeared in any of the conditions. Speculation concerning differences between Chinese and Chinese-Americans suggests that the latter have experienced both authoritarian as well as democratic leadership atmospheres and can adapt to either while Chinese in an authoritarian culture demonstrate more successful adaptation to authoritarian atmospheres.

Religiosity and its association with happiness, purpose in life, and self-actualisation

Article

Nov 1999
Ment Health Relig Cult

The aim of the present work was to test for an association between religiosity and happiness. One hundred and one undergraduate students completed the Francis Scale of Attitude Towards Christianity, the Depression-Happiness Scale (DHS), the Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI), the Purpose in Life Test (PIL), and the Index of Self-Actualisation (ISA). It was found that higher scores on the Francis Scale were associated with higher scores on the DHS, the OHI, the PIL, and the ISA, providing evidence for a positive association between religiosity and these facets of subjective well-being. However, partial correlations suggested that the association between religiosity and happiness is a function of purpose in life.

Viewing Purpose Through an Er

Purpose in Life: A Critical Component of Optimal Youth Development

Abstract

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